The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) cancelled the Philippine passport of dismissed mayor Alice Guo after it was found to be “fraudulently acquired.”
In a statement on Friday, the agency said the circumstances surrounding the acquisition of Guo’s passport merits further investigation and possible prosecution.
For his part, Speaker Martin Romualdez on Friday appealed to the Filipino voters to “practice discernment” and exercise “perpetual vigilance” in choosing candidates for next year’s mid-term elections so as not to suffer the consequences of more “Alice Guos” in the country’s electoral system.
“To the Filipino voters, I encourage you to exercise your right with discernment. Your role is crucial in this process,” he said.
“The recent disqualification of Guo is a significant reminder of our challenges in ensuring that only qualified individuals are elected to public office. The Comelec is crucial in accepting candidacy applications,” he added.
“Every Filipino has the right to present oneself to the public to serve as a public servant. This privilege, enshrined in our Constitution, is solely for our fellow citizens and can never be granted to those who falsely claim to be Filipinos,” Sen. Jinggoy Estrada said in a statement.
“Aside from being a genuine and undeniably Filipino, every candidate has the responsibility to provide accurate information about themselves and comply with the rules mandated by our laws on candidacy for an elective position and public service,” he added.
The DFA said it received a certification from the Department of Justice (DOJ), issued by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on August 24, confirming that the biometrics of Alice Leal Guo matched those of Guo Hua Ping.
In response, DFA canceled the Philippine passport issued under the name of Alice Leal Guo.
Section 10 of the New Philippine Passport Law outlines the grounds for denying the issuance of a passport, canceling a passport, or imposing restrictions on passports.
Specifically, a passport may be denied or canceled based on various grounds, including the cancellation of passports.
A passport may be canceled if it is found to have been “acquired fraudulently, tampered with, or issued erroneously,” the DFA further explained.
The agency assured that those who facilitated the fraudulent passport issuance are subject to investigation and prosecution by law enforcement authorities.
“The DFA is committed to upholding the security and integrity of issuing Philippine Passports. [It] enforces Zero Tolerance Policy for unscrupulous individuals circumventing the Philippine passport application and issuance procedures,” it said.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline “DFA cancels Alice Guo’s ‘fraudulently acquired’ Philippine passport.”
