MANILA, Philippines — Dismissed Bamban mayor Alice Guo has been formally charged before the Tarlac Regional Trial Court (RTC) for misrepresenting herself as a Filipino citizen.
Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Garcia said the poll body filed the criminal complaint against Guo yesterday.
The Comelec accused Guo of violating the Omnibus Election Code for stating in her certificate of candidacy (COC), which she filed on Oct. 1, 2021, that she was a Filipino citizen when she ran for mayor in the 2022 general elections.
In its complaint, the Comelec said Guo was “in truth and in fact… a Chinese citizen and a resident of Fujian, China” named Hua Ping Lin Guo.
Garcia said the Comelec had accorded Guo due process, but she did not file a motion for reconsideration on the poll body’s decision to file an election offense case against her.
Garcia said the Comelec will file a motion for the transfer of the trial venue for the security of election lawyers and witnesses.