4-7-2024 (MANILA) In a startling development that has further intensified the ongoing identity controversy surrounding Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo, it has been revealed that her brother, Wesley Leal Guo, is actually a Chinese national whose real name is Guo Xiang Dian.
This revelation came from Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, who cited fingerprint matching conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) using its biometric records and those of the Board of Investments (BOI).
According to Gatchalian, “Guo Xiang Dian arrived in the Philippines in 1999. He’s listed as the dependent son of Lin Wen Yi, which made him Guo Hua Ping’s brother.” Lin Wen Yi is believed to be the true mother of Mayor Guo, while authorities have alleged that Lin’s daughter, Guo Hua Ping, is actually the suspended Mayor herself, based on matching fingerprints.
The senator emphasised that this new information “again demonstrates that the late registration process was abused by the Guo family to falsely claim that they are Filipinos.”
The investigation has now widened to include Mayor Guo’s other siblings, Sheila and Seimen, who have been subpoenaed to attend a hearing on 10 July. Failure to appear could result in arrest warrants being issued to compel their attendance at the Senate.
In a related development, Gatchalian dismissed the possibility of Mayor Guo serving as a star witness in the investigation into illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs). He stated, “I don’t see her as the least guilty because based on the documents we’ve seen, she was the one who applied. In fact, she was the one who triggered the entry of this POGO hub into Bamban.”
The senator added that he would leave it to government lawyers to determine if she could qualify as a star witness.
Meanwhile, Mayor Guo’s legal team has challenged the veracity of the NBI’s fingerprint analysis, claiming it has not been “verified.” The embattled mayor continues to assert her Filipino citizenship and denies any involvement with Chinese espionage or illegal POGOs.