MANILA – Dismissed Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo is considering filing a certificate of candidacy (COC) to run for the same position in the 2025 midterm elections.
According to her lawyer, Atty. Nicole Jamilla, Guo is thinking about running again in Bamban due to some unfinished work in her town and her supporters.
“Kino-consider din niya, of course, kung papaano ang mangyayari considering na nasa loob siya kasi nga naka-detain siya,” Jamilla said in an interview with ABS-CBN’s TV Patrol.
She added: “Kino-consider din niya ‘yung mga naiwan niya (na trabaho), ‘yung mga unresolved issues, and ‘yung mga kababayan niya na grabe pa din ang suporta sa kanya.”
The Office of the Ombudsman recently ordered Guo’s dismissal for grave misconduct with forfeiture of all her retirement benefits as well as perpetual disqualification from public office.
According to the Ombudsman, Guo’s acts such as her involvement in the raided Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hub in her locality showed a “willful intent on her part to violate the law or disregard established rules.”
Meanwhile, Commission on Elections (Comelec) said that they cannot reject it if Guo will decide to file her COC and run as Bamban, Tarlac mayor next year.
“Ang kapangyarihan po ng Comelec ay ministerial ang duty pagdating sa COC. So wala po kaming kapangyarihan tanggihan, i-pre-evaluate o i-reject agad ‘yung mga pina-file na COC,” Comelec spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco said in an interview with Teleradyo Serbisyo on Wednesday.
“Hindi kasi namin basta-basta mare-reject ito. Una, ‘yang kaso niya (Guo) ay gumugulong ngayon. Wala pang desisyon ang mga kasong naka-file sa korte at kahit ‘yung sa Comelec election offense niya na iniimbestigahan namin, wala pa rin pong final na desisyon,” he added.
However, the Comelec official clarified filing a COC is not a guarantee that the aspirant is already a candidate for the 2025 elections.
“Dahil kung katulad po nitong kasong ito na mayroong mga nakabinbin na kaso bagamat wala pang nadedesisyunan hanggang ngayon, ‘pag napagdesisyunan na ‘yan, it’s either mapa-filean siya ng petition to cancel COC or madi-disqualify siya dahil may na-attach sa kaniya na accessory penalty,” Laudiangco said.
According to Laudiangco, “Lahat kasi — kahit sa tingin namin nuisance candidate — hindi namin pwedeng tanggihan ‘yan. Ang ginagawa po ng Comelec is in compliance with due process at sinasampahan ng petition to declare as nuisance candidate.”/PN
