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'''Alice Leal Guo'''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://comelec.gov.ph/php-tpls-attachments/2022NLE/TentativeListsofCandidates/R3/TARLAC/BAMBAN.pdf|title=Certified List of Candidates (MUNICIPAL)|accessdate=May 13, 2024|publisher=[[Commission on Elections (Philippines)|Commission on Elections]]}}</ref> ({{lang-zh|郭華萍<ref>{{Cite news |date=May 15, 2024 |title=華文報賀郭華萍廣告惹關注 |url=https://www.shangbao.com.ph/fgyw/2024/05-15/158803.shtml |access-date=May 16, 2024 |work=[[Chinese Commercial News]] |language=zh}}</ref>}}) is a businesswoman and politician in the [[Philippines]] serving as the current mayor of the municipality of [[Bamban]], [[Tarlac]], since June 30, 2022.
'''Alice Leal Guo'''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://comelec.gov.ph/php-tpls-attachments/2022NLE/TentativeListsofCandidates/R3/TARLAC/BAMBAN.pdf|title=Certified List of Candidates (MUNICIPAL)|accessdate=May 13, 2024|publisher=[[Commission on Elections (Philippines)|Commission on Elections]]}}</ref> ({{lang-zh|郭華萍<ref>{{Cite news |date=May 15, 2024 |title=華文報賀郭華萍廣告惹關注 |url=https://www.shangbao.com.ph/fgyw/2024/05-15/158803.shtml |access-date=May 16, 2024 |work=[[Chinese Commercial News]] |language=zh}}</ref>}}) is a businesswoman and politician in the [[Philippines]] serving as the current mayor of the municipality of [[Bamban]], [[Tarlac]], since June 30, 2022.


In a [[Philippine Senate|Senate]] Committee inquiry, Guo was alleged by Senators [[Risa Hontiveros]] and [[Win Gatchalian]] to have links to illegal activities by [[Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator]]s (POGOs) following [[Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator#2023–2024 Bamban raids|raids in Bamban]] in 2023 and 2024. Her [[Filipino citizenship]] has been questioned and is now being investigated due to inconsistencies in her documents and testimony.<ref name=manabat7/><ref name="Bajo">{{cite news |last1=Bajo |first1=Anna Felicia |title=Marcos says other politicians in Tarlac don’t know Alice Guo |url=https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/907014/marcos-says-other-politicians-in-tarlac-don-t-know-alice-guo/story/?just_in |access-date=16 May 2024 |work=GMA News Online |date=16 May 2024}}</ref><ref name="osg"/>
In a [[Philippine Senate|Senate]] Committee inquiry, Guo was alleged by Senators [[Risa Hontiveros]] and [[Win Gatchalian]] to have links to illegal activities by [[Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator]]s (POGOs) following [[Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator#2023–2024 Bamban raids|raids in Bamban]] in 2023 and 2024. Her [[Filipino citizenship]] has also been questioned and is now being investigated due to inconsistencies in her documents and testimony.<ref name=manabat7/><ref name="Bajo">{{cite news |last1=Bajo |first1=Anna Felicia |title=Marcos says other politicians in Tarlac don’t know Alice Guo |url=https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/907014/marcos-says-other-politicians-in-tarlac-don-t-know-alice-guo/story/?just_in |access-date=16 May 2024 |work=GMA News Online |date=16 May 2024}}</ref><ref name="osg"/>


==Personal life ==
==Personal life ==

Revision as of 11:47, 16 May 2024

In this Philippine name, the middle name or maternal family name is Leal and the surname or paternal family name is Guo.
Alice Leal Guo
Mayor of Bamban, Tarlac
Assumed office
June 30, 2022
Preceded byJose Antonio Feliciano
Vice MayorLeonardo Anunciacion
Personal details
Political partyIndependent
OccupationBusinesswoman, politician

Alice Leal Guo[1] (Chinese: 郭華萍[2]) is a businesswoman and politician in the Philippines serving as the current mayor of the municipality of Bamban, Tarlac, since June 30, 2022.

In a Senate Committee inquiry, Guo was alleged by Senators Risa Hontiveros and Win Gatchalian to have links to illegal activities by Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) following raids in Bamban in 2023 and 2024. Her Filipino citizenship has also been questioned and is now being investigated due to inconsistencies in her documents and testimony.[3][4][5]

Personal life

Details of Guo's early life and educational background are disputed. Guo states that she was born inside her home in the then-municipality of Tarlac[6] in 1986 to a Chinese-Filipino father and a Filipino mother. Discrepancies arise regarding the nationality of Guo's father, as his birth certificate identified him as Filipino named Angelito Guo, while his business documents listed him as a Chinese national named Jian Zhong Guo. Additionally, an archived post on the official website of Bamban suggests a familial relationship between Guo and a woman named Patty, whom she referred to as her mother, though observers noted a perceived lack of resemblance between them.[7][8] Residents of barangay Virgen de los Remedios in Bamban said that Guo lived and grew up there,[9] adding that she also has a sibling.[10] Guo has also stated that her family raised pigs for a living and that she grew up on a farm.[11] She also claimed residency in Valenzuela, Metro Manila while her parents had an alleged embroidery business there. However, records from the city's Business Permit and Licensing Office showed that such business never existed, while her listed home address belonged to the Baile family, according to Senator Win Gatchalian.[12]

Her testimony during a joint Philippine Senate Committee investigation claims that she was homeschooled.[13] However, her birth was only registered when she was 17 years old.[14] This delay cast doubts on her early life, given the absence of hospital birth records and her inability to identify her homeschool provider. The absence of traditional educational records prompted inquiries into the nature of her early education. No publicly accessible information exists about Guo's higher education, including whether she pursued college or any other form of tertiary education.[15]

According to Guo's Certificate of Candidacy for Mayor filed before the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) in 2021, she stated that she was unmarried and had been a resident of her registered address in Bamban for 18 years.[6] According to COMELEC Chairman George Garcia, she only registered as a voter of Bamban in April 2021, 13 months before the 2022 general elections.[16]

Political career

In 2022, Guo was elected as the municipal mayor of Bamban, Tarlac, with 16,503 votes against the 16,035 votes received by her closest rival, Joey Salting Jr. She ran as an independent candidate[17] with former mayor Leonardo Anunciacion as her running mate for vice mayor, while also acknowledging support from the "previous administration."[11] Her campaign expenses, according to her Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE), exceeded ₱134,000.[16]

Alleged links to POGOs

Senator Win Gatchalian revealed Guo's alleged links with the firm Zun Yuan Technology, Inc., an online casino firm that was registered in the Philippines as a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO).[18] Prior to her election in 2022,[19] Guo had applied for the license of Hongsheng Gaming Technology, Inc.;[18] and in late 2020, the municipal council approved its establishment and operation.[20] Hongsheng had its license to operate canceled by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) by 2022.[20]

The POGO hub, situated in the property which is owned by Baofu Land Development, Inc. and is located behind the municipal building in Barangay Anupul, Bamban,[19] was twice raided by the authorities: in February 2023, for alleged involvement in cryptocurrency investment scams;[21] and in March 2024, due to allegations of human trafficking and other cybercrimes;[22] at that time, it had been renamed Zun Yuan.[18]

In May 2024, during a Senate inquiry, senators said that the POGO compound housed "mercenaries" allegedly involved in cybercrimes and surveillance activities, citing intelligence reports.[19][3] Meanwhile, Guo countered allegations against her, stating that she was the former landowner of the property, and her vehicle, found within the compound, was sold in 2020.[23] Guo admitted that being one of the incorporators of Baofu, she later sold her shares upon entering politics.[24]

During the inquiry, Senator Risa Hontiveros floated an idea that Guo may be a Chinese "asset" trained to infiltrate the Philippine government and "have an influence in Philippine politics". In response to the allegations, Guo expressed dismay saying that she had been "judged prematurely" via a trial by publicity.[24]

On May 16, 2024, Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra said he designated a "team of solicitors" to investigate if Guo is illegally "holding or exercising a public office" as prefatory to quo warranto under Rule 66, Revised Rules of Court.[5]

References

  1. ^ "Certified List of Candidates (MUNICIPAL)" (PDF). Commission on Elections. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
  2. ^ "華文報賀郭華萍廣告惹關注". Chinese Commercial News (in Chinese). May 15, 2024. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
  3. ^ a b Manabat, Joann (May 7, 2024). "Senators grill Bamban, Tarlac mayor with alleged POGO ties". Rappler. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  4. ^ Bajo, Anna Felicia (May 16, 2024). "Marcos says other politicians in Tarlac don't know Alice Guo". GMA News Online. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
  5. ^ a b Laqui, Ian (May 16, 2024). "OSG forms team to 'look' into Bamban Mayor Guo's case". The Philippine Star. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
  6. ^ a b ABS-CBN News [@ABSCBNNews] (May 14, 2024). "LOOK: In her Certificate of Candidacy filed in 2021, Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo, declared she is a Filipino citizen. The Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality shared the document. | via @victoriatulad" (Tweet). Retrieved May 14, 2024 – via Twitter.
  7. ^ "Happiest Birthday! Mother of Mayor Alice Leal Guo". Official Website of Bamban Province of Tarlac. Archived from the original on May 8, 2024. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
  8. ^ "Mommy Mystery: Mayor Alice Guo's Birthday Greeting For Mother Vanishes From Bamban LGU's Website". Politiko. May 11, 2024. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
  9. ^ Mga residente sa Bamban, Tarlac, iginiit na totoong Pilipino si Mayor Alice Guo. YouTube (in Filipino). News5Everywhere. May 14, 2024. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
  10. ^ "'I am Alice Guo... a Filipino citizen'". GMA News. May 14, 2024.
  11. ^ a b Uson, Melanie (May 10, 2024). "What we know about Alice Guo, the Bamban mayor who is allegedly linked to POGOs". The Philippine Star.
  12. ^ Valenzuela Home and Business of Bamban Mayor Alice Guo. YouTube (in Filipino). Win Gatchalian. May 13, 2024. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  13. ^ "Tarlac mayor's dubious identity puzzles, alarms senators; Bamban mayor denies links to POGO firm". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  14. ^ "Tarlac mayor Alice Guo's nationality questioned". Politiko Central Luzon. May 9, 2024. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  15. ^ Tulad, Victoria (May 8, 2024). "Hontiveros questions nationality of Bamban mayor linked to POGOs". ABS-CBN.
  16. ^ a b Perez, Arra (May 14, 2024). "Tarlac mayor Alice Guo's COC: 'I am a Filipino citizen'". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
  17. ^ "2022 ELECTION RESULTS: Bamban, Tarlac". PHVOTE. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  18. ^ a b c Manabat, Joann (March 26, 2024). "Bamban mayor linked to raided POGO in Tarlac". Rappler. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
  19. ^ a b c Ramos, Marlon (May 8, 2024). "Senators probe Tarlac Pogo for 'spy ops'; mayor grilled". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
  20. ^ a b Malig, Jun (February 2, 2023). "CIDG raids Pogo firm in Tarlac; rounds up 850 foreign, Filipino employees". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
  21. ^ de Guzman, Victor (February 2, 2023). "Bamban POGO raided by CIDG". Tarlakenyo. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  22. ^ Tupas, Emmanuel (March 14, 2024). "875 held in Tarlac POGO hub raid". The Philippine Star. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  23. ^ Abarca, Charie (May 7, 2024). "Bamban mayor denies ties to raided Pogo firm in Tarlac". Inquirer.net. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
  24. ^ a b Ramos, Marlon (May 9, 2024). "Hontiveros won't let go of Bamban mayor over ties to Pogo". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Archived from the original on May 9, 2024. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
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