Dismissed Bamban mayor Alice Guo appears in the Senate on Monday, September 9, 2024, at the resumption Senate inquiry into the Pogo hub in Tarlac. Noy Morcoso/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has given dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo, also known as Guo Hua Ping, until Thursday, September 12, to file her counter-affidavit on the material misrepresentation case filed against her.
In a decision signed on Monday, and released to the media on Tuesday, the law department of the Comelec “partially grants” Guo’s second motion to extend the deadline for filing for the counter-affidavit.
“Respondent Alice Leal Guo / Hua Ping Lin Guo is hereby given TEN (10) calendar days from 02 SEPTEMBER 2024 or until 12 SEPTEMBER 2024 within which to file her Counter-Affidavit,” the decision said.
READ: Comelec awaits Alice Guo’s counter-affidavit on misrepresentation charge
Guo’s camp filed the motion on August 30 to ask for an extension of 15 days starting from September 1 until September 16.
The decision also said that “no further extension shall be granted.”
Comelec Chairman George Garcia said last Wednesday that the conduct of preliminary investigation will be stopped if Guo will not file her counter-affidavit on the misrepresentation charge against her. This statement was made after the ex-mayor was arrested in Indonesia.
Further, Garcia on Tuesday said that the poll body will resolve her case whether she files a counter-affidavit or not.
READ: Comelec issues subpoena vs Alice Guo for material misrepresentation
“With or without the counter-affidavit, ireresolve na po ‘yong kanyang issue whether may probable cause at dapat ba siyang masampahan ng kasong kriminal sa isang korte dyan sa Tarlac,” Garcia said in a radio interview with DWIZ.
(With or without the counter-affidavit, we will resolve the issue whether there is a probable cause and if she should be filed with a criminal case in a Tarlac court.)
The poll body chief also underscored in the radio interview the importance of solving the misrepresentation case as a preparation for the 2025 national and local elections.
“Napakaimportante niyan sapagkat bilang paghahanda sa filing natin ng candidacy na mangyayari sa October 1-8, dapat ‘yong mga filers, aspirants, ay pinag-uusapang mabuti ‘yong kanilang nilalagay sa COC [certificate of candidacy],” Garcia noted.
(This is very important because as our preparation for the filing of candidacy that will happen on October 1-8, the filers and aspirants must properly think about what they will put in their COC.)
“Sapagkat ito po ay pwedeng magresulta hindi lamang sa kanselasyon ng kanilang candidacy o sa diskwalipikasyon kung hindi pwede pang magresulta sa kasong kriminal na may kulong na 1-6 taon at kapag naconvict ay pwedeng magresult to perpetual disqualification to hold public office,” he added.
(Because this can result in not just the cancellation of their candidacy or disqualification, but it can also result in a criminal case with jail time of 1-6 years and might result in perpetual disqualification to hold public office once convicted.)
The poll body issued a subpoena against Guo on August 13 for alleged material misrepresentation in her certificate of candidacy in the 2022 elections. This developed after the Comelec en banc unanimously approved the recommendation of its law department to file charges for misrepresentation.
Guo was arrested by Indonesian police on September 4 and was brought back to the country on September 6. She is currently detained in the custodial center of the Philippine National Police at the Camp Crame in Quezon City after refusing to post bail on graft and corrupt practices charges.