Manila – Former senator Leila de Lima advocated for the warrantless arrest of suspended Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo, following revelations of identity theft and serious immigration law violations.
According to Philippines News Agency, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) should immediately arrest Guo, who has been found to have assumed the identity of a Chinese national named Guo Hua Ping, who entered the Philippines in 2003. This action was proposed after the National Bureau of Investigation verified that the fingerprints of Mayor Guo matched those of Guo Hua Ping.
De Lima, also a former Department of Justice secretary, argued that Guo's actions justify a warrantless arrest under immigration law provisions, rather than awaiting criminal prosecution. "Since Bamban mayor Alice Guo is not the real Alice Leal Guo, but a 2003 Chinese child immigrant identified as Guo Hua Ping, and who merely stole the identity of the real Alice Leal Guo, the immediate legal remedy against her is a warrantless arrest by the BI," stated de Lima.
De Lima further suggested that it would be unnecessary to file a quo warranto case if the sole aim is to prevent Guo from continuing to act as mayor after her suspension ends. Guo is currently under a six-month preventive suspension imposed by the Office of the Ombudsman due to various administrative complaints.
The Department of Justice has also issued an Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order against Guo and 17 others related to human trafficking charges connected to a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operation (POGO) hub in her municipality. Additional charges are being considered by the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission for Guo’s alleged involvement in illegal POGO activities in Pampanga.
The Commission on Elections is also considering a criminal case against Guo for allegedly providing false information in her Certificate of Candidacy for the 2022 elections.