Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo, who is currently being grilled in the Senate, could face perjury charges if proven that she misdeclared herself as a Filipino citizen, according to the Commission on Elections (COMELEC).
In an ambush interview after a Senate hearing on Monday, COMELEC chair George Garcia was asked about the possibility of Guo submitting fake documents that allowed her to run as mayor of the Tarlac municipality during the 2022 elections.
"Kung mapapatunayan na hindi naman talaga siya Filipino citizen ay siya po ay puwedeng maging liable o makasuhan ng perjury," Garcia told reporters.
Based on COMELEC's criteria aspiring candidates are only required to submit their certificate of candidacy (COC), in which they declare their Filipino citizenship.
"As far as the Comelec is concerned, ang sinasubmit lang po sa atin base sa ating batas base sa desisyon ng Korte Suprema ay certificate of candidacy. Wala pong nire-require ang batas na i-submit mo o dalhin mo ang nanay at tatay mo para patunayan na ikaw ay Filipino," he continued.
Garcia said the poll body presumes the declaration of aspiring candidates is true until a disqualification or cancellation of candidacy case is filed by a registered voter.
He also confirmed that based on their verification, no one from Bamban had filed a disqualification nor opposed Guo’s application for candidacy back in 2021.
Dubbed a 'dubious identity,' Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo has been a hot topic on social media shortly after Senator Risa Hontiveros questioned her official records and her alleged connection with the POGO compound that was recently raided in the municipality.
Hontiveros said Guo lied when the mayor denied any connection with Hongsheng Gaming Technology, Inc.
The senator also made queries to Guo regarding her personal background, such as educational and medical records.
Her name only floated during the 2022 elections despite the latter having no hospital record of birth and no school records in the Philippines.
