THE Office of the Ombudsman has ordered the dismissal from the service of suspended Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo in relation to the complaints filed against her by the Department of the Interior and Local Government over her alleged involvement in the illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (Pogo).
In an order, the Ombudsman found Guo guilty of grave misconduct for which she was meted the penalty of dismissal from the service with forfeiture of all her retirement benefits and perpetual disqualification to re-enter government service.
It said Guo “turned a blind eye” on the violations committed by the Pogo near the Bamban Municipal Hall, which was raided by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in March.
Authorities raided Zun Yuan Technology Incorporated (ZYTI), which resulted in the apprehension of 800 employees, including around 500 foreigners, among which were 427 Chinese nationals.
The ZYTI was formerly Hongsheng Gaming Technology Inc., which was raided by the authorities on February 1, 2023 also due to involvement in illegal activities.
“All these show a willful intent on her part to violate the law or disregard established rules to further her own interests. From the very start, the actions of Guo were clear enough to demonstrate her design to further her business concerns in Bamban, Tarlac. Guo's purchase of individual agricultural lots and consolidating and having them reclassified as residential and commercial lots; to the formation of Baofu, Honsheng, and Zun Yuan; to throwing her hat in the Mayoralty race, all point to the fact that she carefully planned, orchestrated and masterminded the POGO operations in Bamban, Tarlac,” the Ombudsman said.
“A public official cannot validly serve her constituents while protecting her business interests in the guise of public service. There is substantial evidence to hold her liable for Grave Misconduct,” it added.
The Office of the Ombudsman also meted Edwin Campo, Adenn Sigua, Leonardo Anunciacion, Johny Sales, Jayson Galang, Nikko Balilo, Ernesto Salting, Jose M. Salting Jr., Robin Mangiliman, Jose Casmo Aguilar, Mary Andrei Lacsamana, and Ranier Rivera, all either former or incumbent Sangguniang Bayan members of Bamban, the penalty of suspension for three months.
Meanwhile, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has served the subpoena of Guo in relation to its case for allegedly misrepresenting herself, particularly about her nationality and other personal information, when she filed her certificate of candidacy for the 2022 local elections.
The Office of the Solicitor General also earlier filed a quo warranto petition against Guo, which also led to her removal from the office.
Guo has been under fire due to her failure to detect the illegal activities of the raided Pogo, which led government agencies to dig deep into her real identity.
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) earlier ruled, following a fingerprint examination, that she is one and the same person as Chinese national Guo Hua Ping.
She denied the claims and maintained that she is a Filipino national.
Authorities are currently on the hunt for Guo. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)