Guo has 16 vehicles registered in her name

MANILA, Philippines — Mayor Alice Guo of Bamban, Tarlac has at least 16 vehicles based on documents, a Senate hearing has disclosed.

Car registration records were presented during the Senate’s investigation on Guo’s alleged involvement in illegal Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGO) in her town.

Sen. Risa Hontiveros said that among the vehicles registered were a Ford Expedition, two Ford Rangers, a Toyota Land Cruiser, a BMW and a Hyundai Tucson.

The Land Transportation Office (LTO) has yet to confirm the registrations in Guo’s name and said they are still verifying the reports.

During the Senate hearing, it was shown that a Dongfeng utility vehicle was registered based on the conduction sticker on the McLaren vehicle exhibited by Guo during a car show.

Guo during the hearing claimed these are all part of her buy and sell car business for her company, Westcars Incorporated. She claimed she is only using a GAC GS-8.

Guo said that these are not her assets and that she had already sold some vehicles, including the Ford Expedition, G-Wagon and the Land Cruiser.

“Buy and sell of cars is the business of Westcars, so the vehicles go around. The vehicle I use is the GAC,” she said.

Guo said that these were not owned by her and that the vehicles were not included in her statement of assets, liabilities and net worth.

Guo can run in 2025 polls

Mayor Guo may still run in the May 2025 elections even if she gets suspended from holding public office, according to the Commission on Elections.

Comelec Chairman George Garcia explained that a local official cannot be barred from running in an election until there is a final conviction by a court.

Thus, Garcia said, a suspension from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) will not bar Guo from filing a certificate of candidacy (COC).

“If an official gets suspended, that is not final conviction or judgment in a case. In the meantime, the official can still run,” Garcia said on Thursday.

“Of course, we are not talking about the other cases that can be filed against her. We do not want to pre-empt the case that could be filed,” the poll chief said.

But if the suspension order only came from the DILG, Garcia said the Comelec is obliged to accept if ever Guo decides to file her COC.

He said the legal issue of whether the DILG suspension only covers her current term also needs to be resolved.

“We are not yet discussing that because she has the right to defend herself. For us, we will cross the bridge when we get there,” Garcia said.

The DILG has previously recommended to the Office of Ombudsman the suspension of Guo for her alleged involvement in illegal POGO operations in Bamban town. – Mayen Jaymalin