The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) is currently investigating whether dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo had any solemnized marriages while she was still in office in the municipality.
During the interpolation by 4Ps partylist representative Jonathan Clement Abalos Jr., he asked whether the validity of the marriages officiated by Guo would be affected now that there is evidence suggesting she is not Filipino.
This concern was raised during the PSA's presentation in the plenary regarding the agency's proposed national budget for 2025.
Abalos explained that under the law, a marriage is considered void if there is no authority present to officiate it.
In response, PSA National Statistician Dennis Mapa stated that, according to their legal team, the marriage would not be immediately rendered void if it was conducted in good faith, especially since it has only recently come to light that Guo may not be Filipino.
Mapa stated that the PSA is investigating whether Guo had any solemnized marriages while she was mayor and how many took place.
Mapa further added that, for now, the agency's priority is to cancel Guo's birth certificate after it has been established that she is not Filipino and that the information on her birth certificate is fraudulent.
As the former mayor of Bamban, Tarlac, Guo had the authority to officiate marriages.
This authority is granted to mayors and vice mayors, including those serving in an acting capacity, by the Local Government Code, which states that they have the power to solemnize marriages within their jurisdictions.
Meanwhile, the Department of Justice (DOJ) clarified that the marriages officiated by Guo while she was mayor of Bamban, Tarlac, will remain valid.
This was supported by Justice Undersecretary Nicholas Felix Ty, who explained that a marriage is considered legitimate if it was officiated before she was dismissed from office, especially if it was done "in good faith."
Furthermore, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benhur Abalos confirmed that the marriages officiated by Guo are valid based on Chapter 3, Article 35, Paragraph 2 of the Philippine Family Code.
