RTC ruling disqualifying Guo result of whole-of-government approach

By Benjamin Pulta, Philippine News Agency

FILE: Ex-mayor Alice Guo during the public hearing of the House of Representatives quad committee at the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City on Thursday (Sept. 19, 2024). (PNA photo by Joan Bondoc)

MANILA – The Manila court ruling disqualifying the Tarlac town mayorship of Alice Guo for being a Chinese citizen typifies the success of cross agency cooperation and the government’s resolve to go after illegal organizations, the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) said on Monday.

In a 67-page ruling dated June 27, the Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 34 found respondent Guo Hua Ping a.k.a. Alice Leal Guo “disqualified and is hereby adjudged guilty of usurping and exercising the office of the mayor of Bamban, Tarlac.”

The court concluded that Guo “is not only disqualified to hold the position, also from running for the said position in the first place.”

“This ruling, hailed as a major legal victory, was the result of a whole-of- government approach, demonstrating the impact of coordinated action across agencies, including the Office of the Solicitor General, National Bureau of Investigation, Philippine Statistics Authority, Commission on Elections, Bureau of Immigration, Department of Foreign Affairs, Board of Investments, and the Philippine Retirement Authority, with support from the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission,” the PAOCC said in a statement.

“This decision highlights the significance of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s issuance of Executive Order No. 74, which banned Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGOs). The whole-of-government response, executed with urgency, reflects the administration’s seriousness in translating directives into concrete action.”

Guo is currently detained at the Pasig City Jail. She faces multiple charges, including money laundering and qualified trafficking.

The PAOCC, chaired by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, has been instrumental in supporting the legal offensive, one of three key areas in its anti-POGO framework, alongside law enforcement operations and custodial management.

Guo was earlier dismissed from the service by the Ombudsman for grave misconduct and perpetually banned her from holding public office for her alleged involvement in the operations of Zun Yuan Technology Inc.

, a POGO hub in Bamban which was raided by authorities.

She and her co-accused are facing charges of qualified human trafficking in connection with the POGO hub.