MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Thursday that no single politician from Tarlac knows Bamban Mayor Alice Guo and that the government has been investigating her for some time over her alleged dubious records.
"Kilala ko lahat ng mga taga-Tarlac na politico, walang may kakilala sa kanya. Kaya nagtataka kami, kung saan nanggaling ito?" the president said in an ambush interview on Thursday.
("I know all the politicians from Tarlac, and no one knows her. That's why we're wondering where she came from.")
Marcos said the government earlier "caught" Guo after an official raid at Bamban surfaced her questionable documents.
The president did not clarify whether this raid is the same as the raid conducted on a POGO compound in Bamban.
"Dahil ni-raid natin yung sa Bamban at nakita natin… 'yung mga dokumento, kinukwestyon natin ngayon 'yan, kung talagang totoo itong mga 'to, at saka paano siya tumakbo ng mayor?'' Marcos said.
(Because we raided the place in Bamban and found the documents, we're now questioning if they are genuine, and how she was able to run for mayor.)
Marcos added that Guo's citizenship should be further investigated, citing the probe currently being conducted by the Senate.
Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra said on Thursday that the Office of the Solicitor General is set to gather information to determine if Guo is illegally “holding or exercising a public office."
Guo's identity came into question after a Senate hearing led by Sen. Risa Hontiveros found that the Bamban mayor did not have a birth certificate. Her registration of live birth was also filed when she was already 17 years old.
— Cristina Chi with reports by Ian Laqui