Comelec recommends filing complaint against Mayor Guo for misrepresentation

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has recommended filing a formal complaint against suspended Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo for allegedly committing material representation during her candidacy in the 2022 national and local elections.

Comelec chairman George Erwin Garcia confirmed that six fingerprints on Guo's election documents matched those of Chinese citizen Guo Hua Ping, indicating misrepresentation as a Filipino citizen.

The Law Department of Comelec has advised filing charges against Mayor Guo for misrepresentation, which is punishable by up to six years in prison under the law.

Comelec will review these findings next week to determine if there is probable cause for a preliminary investigation and potential criminal case against Mayor Guo.

Garcia stated that the en banc would decide on how to proceed with the case within a week, after which a preliminary investigation will commence.

Guo's lawyer Stephen David has argued that Comelec's move was premature given the ongoing validity dispute over Guo's birth certificate and urged the public not to be swayed by social media.