NPC Orders Mayor Guo’s Expulsion – A Detailed Overview

The Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) has expelled Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo, further complicating the already contentious situation surrounding the local chief executive. This expulsion comes as Mayor Guo is embroiled in multiple legal and administrative battles.

Mayor Guo is currently under a six-month suspension mandated by the Ombudsman, which commenced on May 31. She is also facing serious human trafficking charges brought forward by the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) and the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG).

The NPC’s decision to expel Mayor Guo was communicated in a letter dated June 22, signed by NPC chair Vicente Sotto III. The letter was addressed to Tarlac Governor Susan Yap, who had petitioned for Guo’s removal.

The NPC emphasized its commitment to ethical conduct, stating, “The NPC will not tolerate any unlawful acts or any appearance of impropriety by its members that will undermine the principle of our party.”

Mark Llandro Mendoza, the party’s secretary general, and Presidential Adviser on Legislative Affairs, will execute the order and formally notify Guo of her expulsion. The NPC released this information to the media on Sunday.

On the preceding Friday, the PAOCC and PNP-CIDG filed a qualified human trafficking complaint against Guo. The charges also implicate former Technology and Livelihood Resource Center deputy director general Dennis Cunanan, twelve officers and incorporators of three companies, and Guo’s alleged business partners Huang Zhiyang, Zhang Ruijin, and Baoying Li.

These charges are based on a March raid at the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator hub, Zun Yuan Technology Inc., in Bamban.

Huang Zhiyang is a fugitive from China, while Zhang Ruijin and Baoying Li are allegedly involved in a significant money laundering case in Singapore. An Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order against Guo and the other respondents is expected to be issued soon.

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has announced plans to investigate Guo and her associates. BIR Commissioner Romeo Lumagui Jr. indicated that if there is a discrepancy between declared income and accumulated wealth, tax evasion charges will be pursued. This scrutiny extends to corporate officers of the implicated companies.

Alongside Guo, Edwin Ocampo from the Municipal Business Permits and Licensing Office and Adenn Sigua from the municipal legal office are also suspended. The suspension is due to “strong evidence showing their guilt” in charges of grave misconduct, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, and gross neglect of duty.

Prior to these events, on May 20, Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. ordered the National Police Commission to start proceedings to revoke Mayor Guo’s control over the local police within her jurisdiction.

This series of actions against Mayor Alice Guo highlights the serious legal and ethical breaches alleged against her, reflecting the rigorous standards and disciplinary measures enforced by the NPC and other governmental bodies.