The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) cancelled the Philippine passport of former Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo after receiving confirmation from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) that her biometrics match the Chinese national 'Guo Hua Ping'.
The cancellation took effect on Monday, September 30.
DFA cited Section 10 (b) (4) of Republic No. 11983, or the New Philippine Passport Act, that allows the cancellation of a passport when 'acquired fraduelently, tampered with, or issued erroneously'.
"The DFA is committed to upholding the security and integrity of issuing Philippine passports and assures the public that fraudulent application and acquisition of passports are referred to law enforcement agencies for investigation and prosecution," DFA said on Friday, October 4, in a statement.
"The DFA enforces Zero Tolerance Policy for unscruplous individuals circumventing the Philippine passport application and issuance procedures," the agency added.
Last August, the Office of the President ordered the DFA and the Department of Justice (DOJ) to facilitate the cancellation of the Philippine passports issued to Guo and her family.
Guo, who face charges for qualified human trafficking and graft, has been linked to Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) raided by the authorities in February 2023, and last March 2024.
On Thursday, October 3, the NBI also filed charges against Guo and five others at the DOJ for falsification by a notary public, use of falsified documents, perjury, and obstruction of justice.
The charges stem from the irregularities in the filing of her counter-affidavit on the qualified human-trafficking charges against her.
Guo allegedly had her counter-affidavit notarized on August 14, but the former mayor had reportedly left the Philippines last July 18, even though the DOJ has issued Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order against her.
The former local chief executive has also been accused of being a Chinese spy.
