Filipinos warned vs voting for 'Alice Guo-like' candidates in 2025 elections

MANILA, Philippines — A House leader cautioned Filipino voters to be vigilant in the 2025 midterm elections, urging them to beware of local candidates who may be fabricating their background and credentials like former Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo. 

House Speaker Martin Romualdez (Leyte, 1st District) said on Friday, October 4, that Filipinos should “remain vigilant” in voting for candidates running for national and local government positions as the country may “suffer the consequences of more ‘Alice Guos’.” 

According to Stephen David, Guo’s legal counsel, the former mayor is seeking reelection. 

He said in an ambush interview with reporters on October 4 that Guo plans on filing her certificate of candidacy before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) next week. 

They are considering scheduling it for the last day of filing, October 8, David added. 

Romualdez requested the Comelec to prevent unqualified candidates like Guo, who is allegedly a Chinese national, from circumventing disqualification measures. 

“We must use available legal measures, such as disqualification petitions, to address any issues that arise,” he said. 

Why can Guo still file a certificate of candidacy? While the Office of the Ombudsman has dismissed Guo from her position as mayor and included an order that bars her from holding public office, she still has the option to appeal the decision. 

This is one of the reasons why the Comelec said they could not prevent Guo from filing her candidacy. 

The Comelec will still review the documents of those who file and determine whether or not they will be disqualified. Filing a COC does not immediately guarantee one’s candidacy, they explained.   

RELATED: Alice Guo can still file for candidacy — SolGen

In the congressional probe into the illegal operations of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO), the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) confirmed to lawmakers that Guo’s fingerprints matched those of Chinese national Guo Hua Ping. 

An Al Jazeera investigation also revealed documents about a certain Guo Hua Ping, indicating the same birthday as the one recorded in the Bureau of Immigration's (BI) travel records for the Chinese national.