MANILA – Former Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo will be barred from seeking reelection in the 2025 midterm elections unless she secures a temporary restraining order (TRO) from the Court of Appeals (CA) to halt the Ombudsman’s dismissal order.
Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairperson George Erwin Garcia stated that the Ombudsman’s decision is immediately executory.
“Even though it’s not final, it’s effective unless stayed by the CA. If she is perpetually disqualified from public office, Comelec will implement this. She can file a certificate of candidacy, but it will be administratively canceled,” Garcia explained during Wednesday’s Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum.
On August 12, the Ombudsman dismissed Guo for grave misconduct and imposed a lifetime ban from holding public office. This decision stemmed from charges filed by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) regarding her alleged involvement with Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO).
Garcia emphasized that Comelec’s separate material misrepresentation complaint against Guo concerns her election credentials.
“The Ombudsman’s case involves her misconduct as a town official, whereas our issue is whether she provided false information in her candidacy. These are distinct matters,” he noted.
Comelec representatives served a subpoena to Guo in Bamban town on Tuesday related to her alleged misrepresentation in the May 2022 elections. Guo has 10 days to file her counter-affidavit, after which the case will proceed to a resolution if she does not respond.
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