Guo seeks dismissal of misrepresentation case

MANILA, Philippines —  Dismissed Bamban mayor Alice Guo yesterday sought the junking of her misrepresentation case before the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

In a nine-page counter-affidavit, Guo maintained that she did not make false representation, and asked the Comelec to dismiss the complaint filed by its law department.

“(W)hen I filed my Certificate of Candidacy, I have made declarations on my personal information, such as my citizenship and domicile, on the basis of the legitimate documents in my possession, which documents were issued by the Philippine government and which remain valid and existing since the time I filed my COC and still as of this writing,” Guo said.

“In view of the foregoing, it is respectfully prayed of this Honorable Commission that the instant Complaint for violation of Section 74 in relation to Section 262 of the Omnibus Election Code (Material Representation) be dismissed,” she added.

Guo said the filing of the complaint by the Comelec law department is premature since the question of her citizenship remains pending.

“Unless otherwise declared to be invalid, said birth certificate is deemed valid and regular on its face. Thus, it is conclusive proof of my identity as a Filipino,” she explained.

According to Guo, the allegations against her are solely anchored on the comparative examinations conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation - Forensic and Scientific Research Service and the Comelec - Election Records and Statistics Department.

Comelec Chairman George Garcia said the law department is expected to terminate the preliminary investigation following the filing of Guo’s counter-affidavit and submit its recommendation on the complaint by next week.

The Comelec chief also dismissed the perception that Guo is being singled out in facing misrepresentation charges.

“I want to prove that we did not single out mayor Guo. We regularly have misrepresentation cases,” Garcia said, noting that just a few days ago, the law department recommended the filing of misrepresentation charges against five former candidates.

Link to Chinese syndicate

It is possible that a notorious Chinese syndicate helped Guo flee the country, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said yesterday.

Asked if Guo’s link to organized crime goes all the way to the notorious “Chinese triad” through Chinese fugitive Huang Zhiyang, Gatchalian said in a press briefing: “It is possible.”

“I don’t have any concrete information now. I have information about who Huang is that is not yet validated. But all I can say is – it is possible. What I am sure is Huang is part of a money laundering organized crime,” Gatchalian said.

Guo was linked to a syndicate after she incorporated her real estate firm Baofu Land Development with Chinese nationals Zhang Ruijin and Lin Baoying, and Cypriot national Huang Zhiyang. Baofu leased its land to Zun Yuan Technology, the raided scam-farm in Bamban, Tarlac.

Zhang and Lin have been sentenced and pleaded guilty for their role in Singapore’s biggest $3-billion money laundering case.

Meanwhile, Huang is a Chinese fugitive and Guo’s business partner, on the run after authorities raided his rented Fontana Park villa in Clark, Pampanga and confiscated his five passports.

Gatchalian said three Chinese officials helped Guo slip past authorities for Malaysia, then Singapore and Indonesia, where she was caught hiding – her business partner Huang; Duanren Wu, a former Chinese cop and a board member of Whirlwind Corp. or the firm that leased its land to Lucky South 99, the raided Porac, Pampanga offshore gaming hub; and Singaporean Zhang Jie, the Lucky South 99 president.

“They booked the hotels and facilitated the travels of the Guos,” Gatchalian said, referring to Alice and her alleged sibling-cohorts Wesley and Shiela.

“All these Chinese personalities are no longer in the Philippines. Their common action is whenever there is a raid, they flee the country,” he said.

Gatchalian said he has credible information that Huang was able to escape from Taiwan to Hong Kong, where he is now in hiding.

Huang figured in the documents of previously raided offshore gaming hubs, Gatchalian said, and his name also appeared in the incorporation papers of raided Sun Valley Clark Hub at the Clark Freeport Zone.

“These personalities know each other. Maybe it is not shown in the documents, but interaction-wise, they know each other. They are active personalities who helped in the Guo’s movements in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore,” Gatchalian said.