Pimentel: Guo reelection bid is best chance to raise citizenship issue

FILE PHOTO: Alice Guo during a hearing at the House of Representatives. – For Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, the best time to raise the citizenship issue against Alice Guo would be when she files her candidacy to again become the mayor of Bamban town in Tarlac province. PHOTO FROM THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MANILA, Philippines — For Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, the best time to raise the citizenship issue against Alice Guo would be when she files her candidacy to again become the mayor of Bamban town in Tarlac province.

The ousted local chief executive, whose real name is Guo Hua Ping, is set to file her certificate of candidacy (COC) for mayor of Bamban on  October 8, her lawyer Stephen David announced last Friday.

According to Pimentel, this move of Guo is consistent with her assertion that she is a Filipino.

“Let us understand na ‘yung tao [ay mayroong] theory eh. So ang actions niya consistent din sa  theory niya. Ang theory niya, she’s a Filipino eh. Gusto niya rin ipakita na ang actions niya ay consistent doon,” the senator  explained.

(Let us understand that the person has a theory. So her actions are also consistent with her theory. Her theory is that she’s a Filipino. She also wants to  show that her actions are consistent with her theory.)

It would then now be up to her political opponent or any one who has evidence to disprove Guo’s claim, Pimentel pointed out.

“This is I think the best time to raise it,” he then said. “Kasi kung nag-file na ng COC may deklarasyon ka doon na that I’m a Filipino citizen. Then ang theory nung kabila, whoever will challenge, she’s not Filipino. Therefore, denied due course to the certificate of candidacy.”

(This is I think the best time to raise it. Because if you filed your COC, you have a declaration there  that I’m a Filipino citizen. Then the theory of the other camp, whoever will challenge, she’s not Filipino. Therefore, denied due course to the certificate of candidacy)

“And then ito na ‘yung categorical case which will now say if she is a Filipino or not,”  Pimentel further said.

A Senate investigation into her alleged ties to illegal a Philippine offshore gaming operator hub in her town  revealed that Guo is a Chinese national named Guo Hua Ping.

This was based on the result of the fingerprint examination conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

A comparison of Guo’s fingerprints in the voting records and those records of Guo Hua Ping at the NBI had also resulted in the filing of a case against her by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for alleged misrepresentation of her candidacy in the 2022 elections.

In August, the Office of the Ombudsman ordered Guo’s dismissal from service and  her “perpetual  disqualification to re-enter government service” – still due to her alleged  ties with illegal Pogos.

All these and other issues may be used by Guo’ opponents against her during the campaign period, according to Pimentel.

“On the part of Alice Guo, alam naman niya na ang daming question sa kanyang kandidatura na even if manalo siya, posible rin na balewala ang pagkapanalo niya kasi in the end, she maybe declared na pala as a non-Filipino, therefore, not qualified,” he pointed out.

(On the part of Alice Guo, she already knows that there are many questions regarding her candidacy that even if she wins, it’s still possible that her victory would be rendered useless in the end as she maybe declared as a non-Filipino, therefore, not qualified)