Philippines removes female mayor suspected of being Chinese

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Rappler reported that the Philippine Office of the Ombudsman has just ordered the removal of Mayor Alice Guo of Bamban town (Tarlac province), amid allegations that she is actually Chinese.

In a decision issued on August 13, the Philippine Office of the Ombudsman (OOP) said Ms. Guo committed serious violations and imposed the penalty of dismissal, deprivation of all pension benefits and permanent ban from returning to government service.

“Needless to emphasize, when respondent Guo began to perform her duties and responsibilities as mayor, she remained the de facto chairperson of Baofu Land Development Company and benefited from the continued operations of Hongsheng and Zun Yuan companies,” the decision read, according to The Philippine Star .

OOP raised concerns about Ms. Guo's actions before and during her term as mayor, including acquiring land in 2019 to turn it into the Baofu complex, pushing for the land's use to be changed from agricultural to residential/commercial, and failing to revoke the licenses of Hongsheng and Zun Yuan companies despite legal violations.

Earlier on August 12, OOP concluded that 12 other officials in Bamban town were guilty of wrongdoing and decided to suspend them for 3 months, including Vice Mayor Leonardo Anunciacion.

Ms. Guo was suspended from office and had an arrest warrant issued by the Senate for failing to attend a hearing on charges related to illegal offshore gambling companies in the Philippines.

Ms. Guo’s whereabouts are unknown, following allegations that she is actually a Chinese citizen. Previously, Ms. Guo claimed that she was a Filipino citizen and the illegitimate child of her father and his maid. She even produced a birth certificate that listed her mother’s name as Amelia Leal.

However, Senator Risa Hontiveros presented several media documents claiming that Ms. Guo's mother is a Chinese citizen named Lin Wenyi.