Bersamin asks DOJ, DFA to cancel Guo, siblings' Philippine passport
MANILA, Philippines — Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin ordered the Departments of Justice (DOJ) and Foreign Affairs (DFA) to do “appropriate action” for the cancellation of the Philippine passport of dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo and three others following reports of the mayor’s escape.
Aside from Guo, Bersamin also asked for the cancellation of the passports of the mayor’s siblings, Wesley Leal Guo and Shiela Leal Guo and the Porac-based Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator Lucky 99 representative Cassandra Ong, according to a memorandum sent by the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission to reporters on Tuesday.
“It is worthy to note that currently, the Senate issued arrest warrants against Guo and her family for unduly refusing to appear, despite due notices, its probe into the illegal activities of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators,“ Bersamin’s memorandum read.
Guo’s escape to the country was first revealed by Sen. Risa Hontiveros on Monday, saying that the former official traveled to Singapore to meet her parents Lin Wen Yi at Guo JianZhong.
She was said to leave the Philippines for Malaysia on June 17 while using a Philippine passport.
Passport cancellation rocess
Under Republic Act 11983 or "New Philippine Passport Act,” the foreign affairs secretary may cancel a passport of an individual in the interest of national security.
The following are the grounds for the cancellation of passport, according to the New Philippine Passport Act:
(1) Upon orders of the court, when the holder has been convicted of a criminal offense: Provided, That a passport may be issued after service of sentence;
(2) Upon orders of the court, when the holder is a fugitive from justice;
(3) Upon orders of the court, when the holder is a suspected terrorist charged with any violation of Sections 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 of Republic Act No. 11479 or "The Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020": Provided, That a passport may be issued upon: (1) acquittal of the accused, (ii) the dismissal of the case filed against such person, or (iii) the discretion of the court on motion of the prosecutor or of the accused;
(4) When a passport was acquired fraudulently, tampered with, or issued erroneously; or
(5) When a passport is returned to the DFA by other government agencies or entities: Provided, That cancellation of the passport will not prevent the holder from being issued a new passport.
In a message to Philstar.com, Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra said that the filing of a petition to cancel a passport may be done by any individual or by the DFA itself.
However, the DFA can only initiate the cancellation in its own initiative if it is proven that Guo’s passport was illegally acquired, according to Foreign Affairs Secretary Eduardo de Vega.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said that the embattled mayor is already in Indonesia.
It can be recalled that the DOJ has issued an immigration lookout bulletin against Guo on July 21, days after Guo was after her reported escape to Malaysia on July 17.
A day after it was revealed that Guo escaped, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla asked the National Bureau of Investigation and the BI to conduct a “thorough investigation” concerning the movements of Guo.
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