Mayor Alice Guo of Bamban, Tarlac —Photo by Marianne Bermudez | Philippine Daily Inquirer
MANILA, Philippines — The DNA test that could have established the nationality of Alice Guo is no longer feasible, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said on Sunday, because Lin Wen Yi, the Chinese national believed to be the mother of the controversial Bamban, Tarlac mayor, has already left the country.
“[The DNA] is not possible for now because, according to the Bureau of Immigration, Lin Wen Yi and Jian Zhong Guo are no longer in the Philippines. They already flew to another country so we can’t find them here,” Gatchalian said in a radio interview.
“First of all, these two are Chinese nationals so they can really go back to China anytime and opt not to return here. If that happens, we no longer have a chance to prove that these two are Mayor Alice’s parents…for now Lin Wen Yi is no longer in the country, so it would be difficult for us to demand a DNA test,” he said.
READ: Alice Guo urged to undergo DNA test with ‘Lin Wen Yi’
The senator previously suggested a DNA test to determine the relationship between Guo and Lin Wen Yi in light of the mayor’s questionable citizenship. The mayor has claimed Filipino citizenship purportedly because her mother is a Filipino.
Guo has repeatedly claimed to be the natural child of her father, Jian Zhong Guo, a Chinese citizen who later used Angelito Guo as his Filipino name, and his former housekeeper, a certain Amelia Leal, who supposedly abandoned her as soon as she was born in 1986.
READ: Alice Guo’s mother could also be Chinese, says Gatchalian
Incontrovertible proof
“It will help us determine who Mayor Alice is and her nationality. If the DNA test proves that Lin is Guo’s mother, then the mayor is Chinese, as both her real parents are Chinese,” Gatchalian said.
He earlier said residents of Valenzuela could vouch that Lin Wen Yi was referred to as the mayor’s mother when the Guo family lived in the city.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros also released documents to the media to illustrate Guo’s alleged ties to Lin Wen Yi, including documents showing the latter was among the former’s co-incorporators in several businesses.
According to Gatchalian, one legislative proposal that can be drawn from the Senate probe is reforming the country’s birth certificate system. He said that while the government‘s goal is to simplify and expedite its processing, it is being abused by some foreign nationals.
He said it is important to determine Guo’s real nationality because it would prove or disprove her qualification to become mayor, in addition to other rights, and the veracity of the birth certificate she has presented.
Birth certificates’ credibility
“It’s now a basic document used to apply for [a] passport, employment record, buy land, and even file a certificate of candidacy,” he said.
“I believe Mayor Alice, since she’s very active, can run for congressman, governor, or even higher, even if her birth certificate is defective and irregular,” he said.
The mayor of Tarlac town became the center of a Senate panel investigation after her name was found in several documents of a Philippine offshore gaming operator (Pogo) based in Bamban, Tarlac, which was raided in March for alleged human trafficking, among others.
Guo was also accused of being a Chinese spy, which she denied.
The Senate is set to hold an executive session or a private hearing on June 5 to tackle more sensitive information about Guo.
“Several government agencies asked for an executive session because their own investigations are ongoing and there are sensitive information and national security issues that cannot be divulged yet to the public, although these agencies already have preliminary findings,” Gatchalian said.