MANILA —  Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo was already 19 years old when her birth was registered, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

Guo has repeatedly said she does not know why it took so long, a statement that some senators found suspicious.

But PSA Assistant National Statistician Engr. Marizza Grande said late birth registrations happen.

From 2013 to 2022, the annual average number of delayed birth registrations was 972,830.

Of the 111 million Filipinos in 2020, 3.7 million did not have birth certificates or were not registered.

“Karamihan po ng kababayan natin ay hindi nakakapagtimely register, one. ‘Yung negligent ang magulang para i-report ito sa ating mga local civil registrars. ‘Yung kanilang access din sa civil registration, ito po ‘yung mga nasa liblib na lugar, wala silang way na magpunta sa bayan at mag-register,” Grande explained.

(Most of our countrymen were not able to register on time. The parent was negligent to report it to local civil registrars. They also live in far flung areas and have no way to go to town to register.)

What is more troubling is the proliferation of fake birth certificates.

PSA is currently investigating about 300 local cases and 65 cases involving foreigners.

“What we know is meron po talagang mga dokumento natin na kumbaga nata-tamper or nagiging fake na nasu-submit sa atin pong mga government partners or other agencies... Meron na rin kaming mga naimbestigahan na mga empleyado na involved at nakasuhan po natin,” Grande said.

(What we know is there are documents which are tampered or faked and are submitted to our government partners or agencies... We have also investigated and filed cases on some employees who are involved in this.)

In Guo’s case, Senators Risa Hontiveros and Sherwin Gatchalian said the mayor’s father, Jianzhong Guo, also known Angelito Guo, may have lied when he applied for a birth certificate.

This, after the existence of Guo’s mother, Amelia Leal, was put into question because the PSA could not find her birth certificate.

There was also no record of Angelito and Amelia’s marriage even if the birth certificate of Guo and her siblings indicated that the two got married twice.

STILL GATHERING EVIDENCE

Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra said they are still gathering evidence on Mayor Guo.

“We are presently consolidating evidence from various agencies and sources. Then we’ll evaluate and determine if there is sufficient factual basis to commence quo warranto proceedings,” Guevarra said in a text message.

A quo warranto is a legal remedy that questions the validity of a public official’s appointment.

Guevarra added, “If she’s not a Filipino citizen she cannot hold or continue to exercise public office.”

Meanwhile, Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) Chair and former Senate President Tito Sotto said he is still awaiting the report of Tarlac Governor Susan Yap on Guo.

Guo joined the NPC after winning as an independent candidate in the 2022 elections.

ABS-CBN is still trying to get the side of Guo.