Ex-Bamban mayor Alice Guo's affidavit forged; fled country

Former Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo admitted during a Senate hearing on illegal POGOs (Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators) that she signed her counter-affidavit remotely while out of the country.

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) confirmed Wednesday that the signature on Guo's affidavit did not match her known signatures, indicating it was forged, and further investigation revealed that Guo had fled the country by July but filed an affidavit with the Department of Justice in August.

Guo's secretary Cath Salazar testified that she attached a signed page to the actual counter-affidavit based on instructions from Guo, who had already escaped the country at the time of notarization.

Lawyer Elmer Galicia faced accusations for allegedly notarizing the document without witnessing it in person, and Justice Undersecretary Felix Nicholas Ty warned of penalties that could result in the cancellation of his notarial register if proven to have committed lapses.

Senator Risa Hontiveros called Guo a 'professional scam artist' and urged an investigation into both her lawyer and the case.

At present, Guo is charged in court for graft and trafficking and faces criminal investigations for tax evasion and money laundering.