Controversial Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo reiterated on Monday that she is not guilty.
The statement was made following the order of the Office of the Ombudsman to preventively suspend her for six months.
Guo said she respects the due process of law and she is willing to cooperate to clear allegations involving her name.
"Ako po ay sumasang-ayon sa proseso ng batas at tinatanggap ang pasya ng Ombudsman pero ilalaban ko ang aking kaso," the Mayor said in a letter addressed to the residents of Bamban.
"Nais ko rin pong iparating na wala akong kasalanan at tapat akong nagsisilbi sa ating bayan at mamamayan," she added.
Guo said she was sad knowing that she was being judged without hearing her side, which according to her violated her rights as the mayor of her town.
Meanwhile, Guo assured her residents that she will still serve in town and will "speak the truth".
"Ako ay titindig para sa katarungan at para sa mga taong maaring mawalan din ng kanilang karapatan. Magsasalita ako upang mailabas ang katotohanan. patuloy ako mananalangin na ang kabutihan ay mananaig laban sa kasalanan," said Guo.
The Office of the Ombudsman made the preventive suspension on Monday following the graft complaints filed by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) over her purported collusion with the POGO firm built on her land in Bamban.
Two other officials of Bamban were also included in the suspension, namely Edwin Ocampo and Adenn Sigua, as the Ombudsman "find sufficient grounds" considering that "there is strong evidence showing their guilt."
Charges against Guo, Ocampo, and Siguo involve grave misconduct, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, and gross neglect of duty, which may warrant their removal from service.
On October 25, 2022, Guo was also discovered to have given Baufo a business permit despite PAGCOR’s cancellation of Zun Yuan’s, or its predecessor Hongsheng’s, license to operate on October 6, 2022.
The POGO firm was first raided by authorities in 2023 and raided again on March 13 this year, rescuing at least 800 employees for being victims of alleged human trafficking.
Aside from the illegal POGO firm, Guo is also being scrutinized over her nationality after finding irregularities in her birth certificate.
Guo, however, repeatedly denied the accusations against her.
