Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo. Photo from Mayor Alice Leal Guo/ Facebook

MANILA (UPDATED) — The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Monday recommended removing Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo's authority over police in her town.

Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos announced the development as Guo faces accusations of her alleged links to illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators in her town.

“Local officials have supervision over the police, so ang gagawin namin ngayon — I have instructed the Napolcom to initiate proceedings for the withdrawal of the mayor’s deputization," Abalos said in a media briefing in Camp Crame Monday. 

He said that Guo's deputization by the National Police Commission could be withdrawn if an investigation finds sufficient grounds to do so. 

Abalos also clarified the DILG has no power to suspend local officials.

"Walang kapangyarihan ang DILG na mag-preventive suspension. Wala kaming kapangyarihan mag-dismiss ng tao. Wala kaming kapangyarihan mag suspindi ng tao. maski mag-reprimand. Wala po sa DILG yun,” he said.

(The DILG has no power to impose a preventive suspension. We have no power to dismiss or suspend people, or even to reprimand. That is not within our mandate.)

The DILG earlier recommended to the Office of the Ombudsman the suspension of Guo.

DILG urges Ombudsman to suspend Bamban mayor

Under National Police Commission rules, governors and mayors are deputized as Napolcom representatives when elected.

Among their powers are functions are exercising operational supervision and control over police units and personnel in their jurisdictions as well as choosing the local chief of police, according to Napolcom Memorandum Circular 99-010.

Deputation can be suspended or withdrawn for frequent unauthorized absences, abuse of authority, providing material support to criminals, and "engaging in acts inimical to national security" or that hamper the government's peace and order campaign, according.

WITHDRAWAL OF NAPOLCOM DEPUTIZATION

The Napolcom regional director can initiate the withdrawal or suspension of deputation after investigation a complaint or report against a local chief executive and after consultation with the provincial governor and the district representative of the city or town involved.

The findings and recommendations are to be sent to the Napolcom for final disposition.

Abalos, as DILG secretary, is ex-officio chairman of the Napolcom.

The DILG order also comes as the controversial mayor skipped her municipal hall's flag-raising ceremony earlier in the day.

Some municipal employees and her supporters gathered near the building before the ceremony to show support for her.