Can Former Mayor Alice Guo Still File COC for 2025 Midterm Election?
ALICE GUO COC – The Commission on Election (Comelec) explained why they cannot reject Guo’s Certificate of Candidacy if she decides to file.
Currently, the filing of candidacies for the 2025 Midterm Election is ongoing. The Commission on Election has already accepted several Certificates of Candidacy or COCs for the upcoming local and national election. There will be an election for mayor, congressional positions, and senators among others.
Recently, the Commission on Election (Comelec) explained that they cannot reject a Certificate of Candidacy — even the Alice Guo COC amid the charges against the former Mayor of Bamban, Tarlac. Undeniably, following Alice Guo saying she has yet to decide on the possibility of seeking re-election as Bamban mayor, there are questions on her eligibility if she decides to run.
Recently, based on a report on ABS-CBN News, Comelec spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco explained that the power of the Commission on Election is “ministerial” thus, they have no power to pre-evaluate or reject a COC filed before them right away. Speaking to TeleRadyo Serbisyo’s Johnson Ikwento Mo, Laudiangco further explained that the complaints against Guo have yet to be decided.
“Hindi kasi namin basta-basta mare-reject ito. Una, ‘yang kaso niya (Guo) ay gumugulong ngayon. Wala pang desisyon ang mga kasong naka-file sa korte at kahit ‘yung sa Comelec election offense niya,” the Comelec Spokesman said.
Meanwhile, based on the report, Laudiangco also clarified that the acceptance of the COC of Alice Guo if she decides to file for a bid does not gaurantee her candidacy in the 2025 Midterm Election. According to the Comelec Spokesman, if the charges against her have been decided on, a petition to cancel her COC or disqualify her from the electoral race may be sought.
“Lahat kasi — kahit sa tingin namin nuisance candidate — hindi namin pwedeng tanggihan ‘yan,” Laudiangco said.
Based on the report, the Comelec Spokesperson said that their office accepting the COCs filed before them is in compliance with the due process. In the case of the nuisance candidates, they file a petition to declare these individuals as nuisance candidates.
Amid the questions on her identity and her fingerprints matching the fingerprints of Chinese national Guo Hua Ping, Alice Guo insists that she is a Filipino. She also denied the allegations linking her to the illegal POGO operations in the country.