Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo testifies at the Senate hearing in Pasay City on May 22, 2024 as she faces questions on her identity and alleged ties to a raided POGO hub in her town. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/FileMABALACAT CITY, Pampanga -- Commission on Elections document and technical analysts joined a team of agency officials in visiting the municipal hall of Bamban, Tarlac on Tuesday to access and check the voting records of suspended Bamban Mayor Alice Guo, who a number of government officials including some senators, believe is also known as Chinese national Guo Hua Ping.

During their visit, Comelec’s Voter’s Identification Division, ERSD team composed of acting Division Chief Tita Miranda, Fingerprint Examiner V Fernando Mendoza and Document Examiner III Pepe Sapo, took turns in measuring and comparing Guo’s fingerprints that appeared in various election documents which remain under the custody of the local election office.

Magnifying glass and lamps were also used to closely examine Guo’s fingerprints that appeared in her accomplished Application Registration; Voter’s Registration; Certificate of Candidacy; and the Election Day Computerized Voter’s List for the 2022 polls as well as the 2023 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections which also bear Guo’s fingerprints.

Asked what should be expected from the team that analyzed Guo’s fingerprints, Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia answered: “Whether to file or not a complaint.”

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“Kapag magsinungaling sa content ng COC, yan ay misrepresentation. Isang kasong kriminal. Ang tanong, meron bang misrepresentation, meron bang pagsisinungaling,” Garcia said.

(Once proven that there was a lie in the COC, that is a misrepresentation, a criminal case. Is there really a misrepresentation, was lie committed?)

“Kahit anong jurisdiction, ang fingerprint ay binibigyan ng napakataas na kredibilidad, lalo kung gagawin ng mga eksperto dito. Findings nila laging ina-affirm ng korte. Sinabi na ng Science, bawat tao may kanya kanyang fingerprint. Laging may pagkakaiba,” the Comelec Chief added.

(In whatever jurisdiction, the fingerprint is accorded the biggest credibility, especially if scrutinized by experts here. Their findings are always affirmed by the court. Science itself has stated that every person has his or her own unique fingerprint. No one is the same)

Miranda’s team is expected to submit its findings to the Comelec Law Department on Wednesday, on whether Guo’s fingerprints and that of Guo Hua Ping are one and the same.

The Law Department in turn will review the report first, before forwarding a formal recommendation “hopefully within the week,” to the Comelec en Banc --  if there is a need to file a “misrepresentation” case against Guo in a regional trial court in an area where Guo filed her COC.

But the matching of the fingerprints will first signal a “preliminary investigation” where Guo will be required to submit her counter affidavit upon receipt of the complaint, to dispute the allegations.

“Basta mag submit counter affidavit ang respondent, it will take about 30 days or less bago mag submit ng recommendation sa en banc. Pag may findings, pwede kami direct ng en banc to file motu proprio an election offense case against the respondent. Dun kami mag conduct preliminary investigation,” Comelec Legal Department Director Noringa Casingal, said.

(Once the respondent has submitted the counter affidavit, it will take about 30 days or less before we submit a recommendation to the en banc. If there are findings, we can directly submit to the en banc to file a motu propio  an election offense case against the respondent. There, we will conduct the preliminary investigation)

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Garcia meantime reiterated the five-day deadline to be imposed on Guo once a complaint against her is finally filed.

And even if she will be allowed not to file her counter-affidavit personally, one important requirement is such document must be supported by her signed Special Power of Attorney that must be signed in front of a notary public, Garcia said.

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