Dismissed Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo (PNA file photo)
MANILA – Officials on Monday said there are no reports yet confirming that ousted Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo had slipped out of the country.
“As far as we know, Mayor Guo is still in the country. There has been no report to us of an attempted departure from the Bureau of Immigration,” Department of Justice (DOJ) spokesperson Mico Clavano told reporters.
Clavano noted that Guo had filed a motion for her case pending before the DOJ last Friday, to which she attached a counter affidavit supposedly sworn before a notary public on August 14, 2024.
“We are currently awaiting official verification from NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) if the documents attributed to them are authentic,” he said.
“We will continue to gather information from both the BI and the NBI. This is a case of national significance. Thus, if it is indeed true that Alice Guo has left the country, a thorough investigation is needed to hold those responsible accountable. This is not a light matter,” Clavano said.
Meanwhile, Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) spokesperson Winston Casio said the government is still verifying that Guo has left the country for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia via Denpasar, Indonesia.
“We are coordinating with our local partners to check on this info. In the meantime, we are awaiting the official information from our Malaysian and Indonesian counterparts,” he said. (PNA)
