MANILA — Saying she is actually Chinese national Guo Hua Ping, Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 34 ousted dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo from her post through the granting of an instant petition for quo warranto.
Under the petition, Guo’s appointment and entire mayoral term is also declared void.
In the decision dated June 27, Friday, under presiding judge Liwliwa Bidalgo-Bucu, the court said Chinese citizen Guo Hua Ping and Alice Leal Guo are the same person.
The Office of the Solicitor General filed the petition.
GUO ALREADY DISMISSED BY OMBUDSMAN
The respondent, Guo, argued this is already moot because the Office of the Ombudsman ordered her dismissed from service back in August 2024.
“Considering the peculiar circumstances involved and the novelty of the case, the Court will not shun away from its bounden duty to litigate,” the decision said.
Guo was dismissed for alleged grave misconduct following supposed connections to a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operation (POGO).
It also cited a risk to national security and the use of fingerprint evidence to establish a link with the identity of another person.
The decision stated that the fingerprints of the two persons were identical, with 15 identical ridge characteristics on their right middle finger and 15 identical ridge characteristics on their right index finger.
But the court dismissed Jose Salting Jr.'s petition-in-intervention for lack of legal basis.
Salting said he should fill the mayoral position after obtaining the second-highest number of votes in the 2022 elections.
However, the court said the second-placer rule “undermines the people’s choice in every election and is repugnant to the people’s constitutional right to suffrage.”