DILG files graft charges vs Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo

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 on May 22, 2024, into the mayor’s links to POGO hubs in the latter’s area. (INQUIRER/ MARIANNE BERMUDEZ)

MANILA, Philippines— The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has filed graft complaints against Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo before the Office of the Ombudsman, according to Undersecretary Juan Victor Llamas.

Llamas confirmed this in a text message to INQUIRER.net on Monday but did not give further details on what prompted the agency to file the charges.

READ: DILG recommends preventive suspension of Bamban Mayor Alice Guo

“Sorry, I can’t provide [it for] you. Respondents haven’t received their copy yet and have not responded to the complaint,” the DILG officer said.

Last May 18, Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. announced that the agency recommended the preventive suspension of the mayor before the Ombudsman.

He explained that this is to “prevent any influence on the continuing investigations of our and other agencies.”

Abalos said the seven-man task force DILG created to investigate Guo’s reported ties to the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (Pogo) has already submitted their report containing “troubling findings of serious illegal acts [that] may have severe legal implications.”

The Senate is currently investigating Guo over the possibility that she is a Chinese “asset” trained to infiltrate the Philippine government.

In addition, the DILG chief instructed the National Police Commission (Napolcom) on May 20 to revoke Guo’s deputization within her area of jurisdiction for the same reason.

Under the Napolcom Memorandum Circular No. 99-010, elected governors and mayors “are automatically deputized as representatives of the Commission” in their areas.

As Napolcom deputies, the MC said mayors are given the power to supervise and control police units in cities or provinces they handle and directly employ and deploy units or PNP elements, among others.