DFA cancels Alice Guo's Philippine passport
The Department of Foreign Affairs has cancelled the Philippine passport of dismissed Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo amid the investigation into her alleged involvement in illegal offshore gaming operations in the country as well as her true identity and citizenship.
The government agency announced that they made the move after the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) issued a certification dated Aug. 24, 2024 detailing that "the biometrics of Alice Leal Guo in the Passport Database match the biometrics of Chinese national Guo Hua Ping."
"The cancellation of the Philippine Passport issued to the dismissed Bamban mayor was effected on 30 September 2024, by virtue of Section 10 (b) (4) of Republic Act No. 11983 or the New Philippine Passport Law," the DFA stated.
The section states that a passport may be denied or cancelled if it was "acquired fraudulently, tampered with, or issued erroneously."
"The DFA is committed to upholding the security and integrity of issuing Philippine passports and assures the public that fraudulent application and acquisition of passports are referred to law enforcement agencies for investigation and prosecution," the agency stressed.
"The DFA enforces Zero Tolerance Policy for unscrupulous individuals circumventing the Philippine passport application and issuance procedures," they added.
Guo Hua Ping is believed to be the dismissed mayor's true identity. The issue was recently brought up by lawmakers in a Sept. 27 hearing conducted by the House of Representatives' Quad Committee.
During the hearing, Guo was confronted with a viral documentary about imprisoned tycoon and self-confessed Chinese Spy She Zhijang, who showed a dossier on Guo Hua Ping.
The document contained a picture that bears similarities with the former Bamban mayor as well as an address detailing that she is in Fujian Province in China.
However, when asked by Davao Oriental Rep. Cheeno Miguel Almario if she knew Zhijang, Guo denied this as she appeared to get upset.
"Your Honor, ‘yung She Zhijang na sinasabi niyo po, ‘yun ba ‘yung pinakita niyo po kanina sa akin sa picture? Hindi ko po siya kilala," Guo said.
"Definitely hindi po ako spy," she stressed later on in the hearing. "Sinasabi po nila spy ako. Mahal ko po ang Pilipinas, Filipino po ako, hindi po ako spy."
Doubts about her identity began after Guo was linked to two POGOs in Bamban: Hongsheng Gaming Technology Incorporated, which was raided in February 2023, and Zun Yuan Technology Incorporated, which was raided in March this year. These were likewise accused of trafficking and scams.
She was questioned as to why she was supposedly unaware of such alleged illegal activities. In past Senate hearings, she was also asked about her background to confirm her nationality. She has since maintained that she's Filipino and has denied having ties to POGOs in Bamban and being a Chinese spy.
But as weeks passed, authorities discovered discrepancies in several documents involving Guo, as well as holes in her stories.