Dismissed Mayor Alice Guo speaing to the media at Royal Star Aviation Hangar, Pasay City on Sept 6, 2024. - PDI
MANILA: Alice Guo, also known as Guo Hua Ping, left the custodial facility of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Camp Crame, Quezon City on Friday (Sept 6) morning for Tarlac City where she is required to appear before the Regional Trial Court (RTC).
PNP Spokesperson Col Jean Fajardo said in chance interview: “Ex-mayor Alice Guo left the custodial facility around 9.40am and she is being escorted by the members of the HSS to bring and present her to the RTC Tarlac."
On Thursday, Capas RTC Branch 109 issued a warrant of arrest against Guo for violating Section 3 (e) and (h) of the Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
Fajardo said the ousted mayor of Bamban town, also in Tarlac province, will appear before the court as a matter of procedure. Guo was brought back to the Philippines before dawn Friday following her arrest in Jakarta on Wednesday.
“As a matter of procedure, she will be brought to the Judge to present that she has already been arrested and we will wait for the court decision if they will release a commitment order to detain her in another detention facility,” Fajardo explained.
Fajardo also said that Guo would be returned to the PNP custodial facility in Camp Crame if the lower court did not issue any commitment order.
She further noted that the Senate must ask the court permission first before Guo appears at its panel hearings.
“‘The warrant of arrest issued by the RTC Capas takes precedence over the arrest warrant issued by the Senate so if the Senate will conduct a hearing and Guo is still within the custody of PNP and she has not posted bail yet, that means that she is still within the jurisdiction of the court,” Fajardo explained
The PNP spokesperson nevertheless gave assurance that the Senate’s arrest order against Guo will not go to waste even if the ex-mayor posts bail because the chamber’s order will be served then and the Senate could already take her into their custody.
“It will not go to waste as soon as they opt to avail bail, it will be served so the Senate can take her into custody. But since she is still under PNP custody, the arrest order can’t be served yet.” she said. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
