Comelec awaits Alice Guo’s counter-affidavit on misrepresentation charge

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has not yet received any information from dismissed Bamban Mayor Alice Guo’s camp if they will still file her counter-affidavit after a subpoena was issued against her over material misrepresentation.

In an ambush interview, Comelec chairman George Garcia said they have yet to receive the counter-affidavit, which Guo may file on Tuesday since government work was suspended on Monday due to Tropical Storm Enteng.

“Wala pa naman po pinapadala na komyunikasyon yung kampo niya, yung abogado niya, kung magtutuloy yung filing ng counter affidavit ngayong araw na ito. Bagama’t ating sinuspindi ang pasok sa araw na ito dahil sa malawakang pagulan at pagbaha, by tomorrow hihintayin namin ang kanyang counter-affidavit,” the Comelec official said.

(Her camp or lawyer has not sent any communications on whether the filing of the counter-affidavit would push through today. But since we suspended work due to the rains and floods, we will wait to see if they will file it tomorrow.)

READ: Comelec issues subpoena vs Alice Guo for material misrepresentation

“Pero ang tanong: siya ba magfi-file? Abogado ba niya mag fi-file? Napirmahan niya ba mismo ‘yung kanyang counter-affidavit o kaya na notaryo ba ito? Kinakailangan siya mismo ang humarap sa notaryo ng publiko upang magampanan ng notaryo ang kanyang tungkulin. Napakadaming katanungan na masasagot lang bukas if matuloy yung pag fi-file ng counter affidavit,” he added.

(But the question is: will she file it herself? Will her lawyer file it? Did she personally sign it or has it been notarized? She needs to face a notary public so it can do its job. All these questions will be answered if she files the counter affidavit tomorrow.)

Last August 13, the poll body issued a subpoena against Guo for alleged material misrepresentation in her certificate of candidacy in the 2022 elections, which came after the Comelec en banc unanimously approved the recommendation of its law department to file raps against her for misrepresentation.

Garcia said Comelec’s law department will take action against Guo if she fails to file her response.

On August 20, Senator Risa Hontiveros disclosed that Guo left the country last July 18 using her Philippine passport. She then reportedly flew to Singapore with Shiela Guo and Wesley Guo on July 21.

For its part, the Bureau of Immigration revealed that Guo arrived in Indonesia last month, but there were no records indicating her departure from the country.

Department of Interior and Local Government chief Benjamin Abalos Jr reported that the former mayor’s sister, Shiela Guo, and one of her companions, Cassandra Ong, were already detained in Indonesia on August 22.

Sheila Guo and Ong returned to the country on the same day.

Alice Guo, along with others, is facing a qualified human trafficking complaint filed by the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission before the Department of Justice last June 21.

READ: Alice Guo’s brother is Chinese national Guo Xiang Dian – Gatchalian