MANILA (UPDATED) — Dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo, who is facing a qualified human trafficking case, can still run for reelection unless a court says otherwise, her lawyer Stephen David said.

Speaking on Teleradyo Serbisyo on Saturday, David said his client has not been convicted and allegations that she is not a Filipino citizen have yet to be proven in court.

“Mahirap naman na i-disqualify siya dahil lang sa kanyang technicality. Paano kung siya talaga ang gusto ng tao ‘di ba? Bigyan naman natin ng pagkakataon yung mga tao na ipakita yung suporta at pagmamahal sa kanya,” he said.

(It would be difficult to disqualify her on a technicality. What if she is who people really want to vote for? Let’s give the people a chance to show her their support and love)

Guo, whom the National Bureau of Investigation says has the same fingerprints as Chinese national Guo Hua Ping, is facing allegations that she was involved in illegal activities in the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator in Bamban town.

READ: Alice Guo pleads not guilty to qualified human trafficking raps

BIRTH CERTIFICATE STILL BEING QUESTIONED IN COURT

She is also facing allegations that she is not a Filipino citizen and could be an asset of China’s Ministry of State Security or of a criminal syndicate, allegations that she has denied.

RELATED: Supposed Chinese spy in Thai jail rekindles suspicion Alice Guo is a Beijing asset

“Sa ngayon, wala namang husgado na nagsasabing illegal siya o na hindi siya Pilipino,” David said.

(As of now, there is no court that has said she is here illegally or that she is not a Filipino)

He said that while her birth certificate, which was filed when she was already a teenager, is being questioned in court, there is no ruling on it yet.

READ: Can ex-mayor Alice Guo still file her certificate of candidacy?

“Ano ba naman ang magiging ebidensya doon na hindi siya Pilipino? Sinasabi lang na fake yung birth certificate, patunayan mo 'yun,” he said.

(And what is their evidence that she is not a Filipino? What they are saying is that the birth certificate is fake, and they have to prove that)

He said that allegations being raised at congressional hearings still need to be proven in court, where, he said, his client will be able to answer them and air her side.

The Office of the Ombudsman ordered Guo dismissed from government service for grave misconduct in August, but David said that that decision can still be appealed.

'FOREIGN NATIONALS CAN'T HOLD PUBLIC OFFICE'

READ: Alice Guo to run for mayor again — lawyer

The prospect of Guo running for mayor of Bamban again has raised concerns from lawmakers who said allowing her to seek reelection was ridiculous in the face of the allegations about her citizenship.

Sen. Risa Hontiveros, who has been presiding over hearings into illegal POGOs, said that Guo “would be committing an act of material misrepresentation if she fills out her certificate of candidacy (COC) and falsely declares herself to be a Filipino citizen.”

She said that the COC is executed under oath, which could also make her liable for perjury.

“Mukhang wala pa ring tigil ang panloloko ni ‘Alice Guo’ sa taumbayan, kahit na nasa loob na siya ng kulungan,” Hontiveros said.

(It seems ‘Alice Guo’ is still fooling people even if she is already in custody)

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, meanwhile, said that the Commission on Elections has already recommended action against Guo for “blatant misrepresentation” in the 2022 elections and said that her plan to run again is “another brazen attempt to undermine the country’s laws.”

He stressed that foreigners are not allowed to hold public office in the Philippines.

“I strongly urge the Comelec to immediately enforce the necessary legal measures to disqualify her from seeking public office.”

In a separate statement, Lanao del Sur 1st District Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong said the Philippine electoral system “is designed to protect the right to representation for natural-born Filipinos."

He added that candidates should have integrity to serve their constituents, a quality that he said Guo, who fled the country amid hearings into the Bamban POGO and into her alleged links to it, does not have.

“Guo Hua Ping has failed to provide Congress with the most basic details about her identity, including her parents, her education, and her time spent in the Philippines. Her lack of transparency and history of criminality make her unfit for public office,” he also said.

Sen. Joel Villanueva on Friday said that while the Commission on Elections can only check if Guo’s candidacy documents are correct and complete, “we note that there is a pending material misrepresentation case against her when she ran for mayor in 2022, along with several cases filed by other agencies pertaining to her true identity.”

He said “it would be ridiculous if she would still be allowed to run again.”