01-07-2025
BI says Manila court ruling 'further cements legal basis' vs Alice Guo
Former Bamban mayor Alice Guo, also known as Guo Hua Ping, attends a Senate hearing on September 9, 2024. REUTERS/ Eloisa Lopez
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Tuesday hailed as "a major win for the national government" the ruling of a Manila court that voided the mayorship of dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo, whom the tribunal deemed as "undoubtedly Chinese."
BI Commissioner Joel Viado welcomed the decision of Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 34, saying it affirmed the immigration findings that Alice Guo and Chinese national Guo Ha Ping are the same person.
"This case reveals how a foreign national was able to penetrate public office using false documents and a fabricated identity," said Viado in a press statement.
"The Bureau has long initiated deportation proceedings against Guo. This court decision further cements our legal basis and supports the government's ongoing efforts to protect our borders and institutions," he said.
In a 67-page decision dated June 27, 2025, Judge Liwliwa S. Hidalgo-Bucu of the Manila RTC Branch 34 granted the quo warranto petition filed by the Office of the Solicitor General against Guo. The ruling stated that Guo and her parents arrived in the Philippines from Fujian, China, with Chinese passports on July 12, 1999.
It added that Guo's Philippine passport is not considered "conclusive proof of citizenship," just like her birth certificate.
"This case highlights the dangers of foreign infiltration and how it can threaten national security from within. It is our duty at the Bureau of Immigration to detect, deter, and remove foreign nationals who misrepresent themselves to gain access to positions of power," said Viado.
Guo's arrest came after she faced several accusations, including having a fake identity, being a Chinese spy and involvement in a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) syndicate.
She claimed she was a Filipino citizen and denied her involvement in illegal POGO operations.
In August 2024, the Office of the Ombudsman ordered the dismissal of Guo for grave misconduct.
For faster deportation
Meanwhile, the BI and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) for the faster deportation of illegal foreign POGO workers in the country.
Under the MOA, Pagcor will provide the BI with a P50-million grant, to be released in two equal tranches, for the deportation of illegal foreign POGO workers physically held at the Bureau's Warden Facility and Protection Unit (BIWFPU).
"We thank PAGCOR for their active support, which will greatly boost our efforts in clearing the country of undocumented and overstaying aliens, especially those connected to illegal online operations," said Viado.
"This grant affirms the whole-of-government approach in addressing threats to national security, while protecting our borders from transnational criminal elements," he said.
Last month, the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) said over 9,000 former POGO workers remain at large in the Philippines. — VDV, GMA Integrated News
