23-6-2024 (MANILA) In a decisive move to uphold principles and disassociate from controversies, the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) has taken the bold step of removing the contentious Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo from its roster of members. This action comes in response to Guo’s alleged links to human trafficking of gambling workers and the graft charges leveled against her.
Titled “NPC’s Principled Stand: Ousting a Controversial Figure,” the article delves into the details surrounding Guo’s expulsion and the party’s commitment to maintaining its integrity.
While Guo initially ran as an independent candidate in the 2022 elections, she later joined the NPC, which had forged an alliance with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s Partido Federal ng Pilipinas. However, her tenure within the party was short-lived as concerns mounted regarding her alleged involvement in illicit activities.
In a letter dated June 22, NPC chairman Vicente Sotto III unequivocally stated, “I hereby order the removal of Mayor Alice Guo from the roster of members of the Nationalist People’s Coalition.” This decision followed a recommendation from Tarlac Governor Susan Yap, the NPC’s provincial chairperson, who cited questions surrounding Guo’s nationality and the trafficking crimes purportedly linked to her.
Sotto emphasized that the expulsion order was issued after consulting with NPC’s leaders and members, considering “the gravity of charges and ongoing investigations against Mayor Guo.”
The embattled mayor finds herself in a precarious position, as she has been placed on preventive suspension by the Ombudsman and faces qualified human trafficking charges before the Department of Justice. These allegations have cast a shadow over her political career and raised concerns within the NPC regarding the potential damage to the party’s reputation.
Sotto’s statement underscored the NPC’s unwavering stance on upholding ethical standards and maintaining a clean image. He declared, “I will be directing our Secretary General, Sec. Mark Llandro Mendoza, to implement the said order and immediately inform Mayor Guo of her removal from the party.”
