Comelec examines Guo's fingerprint

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) is finalizing its investigation on the alleged misrepresentation of suspended Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo, in her certificate of candidacy (CoC) when she ran for mayor in 2022.

Chairman George Erwin Garcia, members of the Comelec investigating panel and a team of fingerprint experts on Monday went to Bamban to examine the fingerprints of Guo when she voted in the last two elections.

«We wanted to finish the probe related to the fingerprint [of Guo]. We wanted to examine and study the fingerprint of the mayor when she voted in 2022 and in the [local polls in 2023] so that we can analyze and at the same time compare her fingerprint in her application for registration, in her CoC and in the fingerprint provided by the NBI, which was also used by the OSG when it filed the petition for quo warranto,» Garcia added.

Examined by the Comelec technical experts was Guo's fingerprint in the election day computerized voters list or EDCV. Aside from the fingerprint of the voter, the same list also shows the voter's picture and signature.

«After this, the Comelec investigating panel is expected to submit its recommendation to the Commission en banc so that we would be able to determine if there was really misrepresentation,» the poll chief said.

As to the fingerprint examination, Garcia said the results would be submitted on Wednesday.

Based on the NBI's findings, Garcia pointed out, «the fingerprint of a person named Alice Guo is the same as the fingerprint of a certain Gou Hua Ping,» adding that after the examination, «we want to know if all the fingerprints belong to the same person.»

Garcia said that whatever the findings of the Comelec investigating panel, the camp of the embattled Bamban mayor would be given the opportunity to explain their side.

«We told the investigating panel that there should be due process. Before the commission en banc would take action, we will give the respondent the opportunity to respond,» he said.

He also stressed that the commission would strictly scrutinize the findings of the investigation to ensure justice and fairness.

«As far as Comelec is concerned, we will focus on the