MANILA, Philippines – The Department of the Interior and Local Government has asked the Ombudsman to issue a preventive suspension order against Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo amid their ongoing probe, DILG Secretary Benhur Abalos said on Friday, May 17.

“The DILG does not have the power to directly suspend or dismiss local officials. Hence, the DILG defers to the Ombudsman regarding any sanctions that may be imposed against Guo, in line with its disciplinary authority over elective officials of local governments,” a statement from the interior chief read.

Abalos said his agency created in April a seven-person task force headed by lawyer Benjamin Zabala from the DILG’s internal audit service to probe Go’s alleged links with illegal Philippines offshore and gaming operations (POGO) in Bamban town. 

The body sent a report to the Ombudsman on May 17, saying “there are troubling findings of serious illegal acts which may have severe legal implications.”

Preventive suspension is a standard practice in investigations involving public officials to ensure the fairness of the probe, and to avoid the possibility of officials influencing the investigation through their position.

Aside from the DILG’s probe, the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) also recently launched a probe into Guo “to determine if there is good reason to believe that the subject is unlawfully holding or exercising public office.”

Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra said that if they get enough information, they can file a quo warranto petition against Guo, which would kick her out of office.

Guo is currently in hot water due to her alleged involvement in two illegal POGOs in her province and her shady background, igniting speculations that she is a Chinese asset on a mission to infiltrate local politics in the Philippines.

During a Senate hearing, Guo claimed she doesn’t remember basic details about her life, including her birthplace and why her birth was only registered when she was 17. She cannot also remember what home school program she took. – Rappler.com