Suspended Bamban Mayor Alice Guo appeals Ombudsman order

May 22 2024
Bamban Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo appears before the Senate as Sen. Risa Hontiveros flagged Guo’s alleged ties to Chinese “criminals” during the continuation of the Senate probe into the mayor’s links to POGO hubs in the latter’s area.
INQUIRER/ MARIANNE BERMUDEZ

MANILA, Philippines – Calling the complaint as “erroneous accusation,” suspended Bamban Mayor Alice Guo on Thursday asked the Office of the Ombudsman to lift the prevention suspension imposed against her.

“All accusations against herein respondent (Guo) are an amalgam of exceedingly distorted, exaggerated, and fabricated stories viciously designed to hoodwink this Honorable Office that herein respondent committed grave misconduct, serious dishonesty, neglect of duty, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service,” read the motion for reconsideration.

In an order dated May 31, Guo was preventively suspended for six months while an investigation is ongoing against them.

Aside from Guo, ordered suspended is Municipal Business Permits and Licensing Officer Edwin Ocampo, and Municipal Legal Officer Adenn Sigua.

READ: Alice Guo ordered suspended as mayor of Bamban, Tarlac

The center of the complaint is the issuance of a business permit, allowing the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (Pogos) to do business in Bamban.

The Pogo hub was raided early this year and rescued hundreds of foreign workers.

Guo was investigated after an electric meter of Zun Yuan was registered under Guo’s name, and authorities also found a vehicle inside the facility registered under the mayor’s name.

“Why won’t she issue a mayor’s permit if the applicant is compliant? Because we have the Anti-Red Tape Act and the Ease of Doing Business. If you don’t issue a mayor’s permit, you are the one who will be charged,” Guo’s lawyer Stephen David said.

Regarding her lavish lifestyle, the motion for reconsideration said, “She was able to buy, through legal means, the land comprising more than seven hectares when she was a private, ordinary citizen.”