MANILA — Is Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo a Chinese citizen?

This is what Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros wants answered in further hearings into Guo and her alleged links to the cancelled Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) in Baofu Compound in her town.

"Kahapon sa ating hearing, halos malunod tayo sa rami ng rebelasyon na nanganak pa ng mas maraming tanong. Una na dyan: Totoo kaya na Chinese talaga si Mayor Alice Guo?," Hontiveros said in a press conference on Wednesday. 

(In our hearing yesterday, we practically drowned in the revelations that led to more questions. One of these is, is it true that Mayor Alice Guo is actually a Chinese citizen?)

Filipinos of foreign descent who are registered voters are allowed to run for and hold local elective positions, but those with dual citizenships are not.

RELATED: Gatchalian suspects Tarlac town mayor has links to raided POGO

"Ayon mismo sa mga taga-Bamban, bigla na lang lumutang ang pangalan ni Mayor Alice Guo nung eleksyon noong 2022. May nakakakilala kaya talaga sa kanya sa sarili nyang bayan? Mayor Alice was catapulted to power in a small town in Tarlac, but does she have the public records that will strongly establish her identity as a Filipino national?" the Senator added. 

(According to residents of Bamban, Mayor Alice Guo's name just suddenly came up during the 2022 elections. Does anyone really know her in her own town?)

NO SCHOOL RECORDS

At the hearing, Guo said she did not have school records because she was home schooled from elementary to high school and did not go to college. 

Her birth was only registered when she was 17 years old. 

"Ang meron tayo ay ito: Certificate of live birth. Dito naman, Filipino ang nakalagay na nationality ng tatay niya, pero sa dokumento ng embroidery business, Chinese ang nationality na naka-record. At sa kakatanong nga natin kahapon, inamin ni Mayor Alice na 'Jian Zhong Guo' pala ang totoong pangalan ng kanyang ama, at yung Angelito Guo ay Filipino name lang daw," Hontiveros stated. 

(What we have is a certificate of live birth. It was written here that her Father’s nationality is Filipino. But in a document of their embroidery business, his nationality is recorded as Chinese. In our questioning yesterday, Mayor Alice admitted that the real name of her father is 'Jian Zhong Guo' and Angelito Guo is just his Filipino name.) 

Hontiveros said she suspects Guo lied about her education because she could not name the home school provider.

"Sorry na lang, naging homeschool parent din ako, kaya alam ko. Ang bawat estudyante at magulang na nag-ho-homeschool, meron kaming homeschool provider. So, bakit hindi niya alam?"

(I'm sorry, but I have been a homeschool parent, so I know about this. Each student and parent who does home schooling has a home school provider. So how can she not know?)

Hontiveros added: "And so I confess, I was very tempted to cite her in contempt."

She also noted that Guo's business before entering politics was hog raising. 

Another thing Hontiveros wants to know is how Guo won the 2022 elections when her business was hog raising.

“Paano sila nakatakbo sa isang kampanya? Paano din nila nabili yung helicopter na ipinakita ko?…Ibinenta daw sa isang British company,” Hontiveros said. 

(How were they able to run a campaign? How were they able to buy a helicopter? They said they had a helicopter…It was supposedly sold to a British company.)

Hontiveros emphasized that it is important to determine Guo's nationality because of her possible links to POGOs in the Baofu compound.

These POGOS are allegedly involved in hacking and surveillance activities, especially of government websites.

A document supposedly proving that she assisted in the application of the POGO Hongsheng for a letter of no objection (LONO) was presented at Tuesday's hearing, but Guo denied having any participation in this even if she was incorporator of Baofu.

"Bilang incorporator ng Baofu, tinulungan ko sila ipakilala sa previous administration para sa LONO," Guo stated on Tuesday.  

(As incorporator of Baofu, I helped introduce them to the previous administration for the LONO.)

Hongsheng closed in February 2023 while Zun Yuan was closed in March 2024.

Guo said she divested when she entered politics. 

"She lied. There were several questions where she lied. Yung pinaka stark and shocking example ay yung dineny niya na may connection siya sa Hong Sheng. Eh nandun na nga sa mga dokumento ng municipal government na siya ngayon ang pinuno," Hontiveros said.

SALN SOUGHT, TOWN COUNCIL MAY BE SUMMONED

Hontiveros' office has already requested for a copy of Guo’s Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) and Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE).

Members of the Municipal Council and residents of Bamban may also be invited to the next hearing, she said.