The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Thursday, Oct. 3, filed before the Department of Justice (DOJ) charges of falsification by a notary public, use of falsified documents, perjury, and obstruction of justice against dismissed Mayor Alice L. Guo and five other persons.
Aside from Guo, also charged were notary public Elmer Galicia, Dante Catapay, Cheryl Medina, Catherine Salazar and Geraldine Pepito.
The filing of the complaint was disclosed by NBI Director Jaime B. Santiago during a a "Kapihan" with journalists at the DOJ on Thursday, Oct. 3.
“‘Yung aming Task Force Guo (the NBI Task Force Alice Guo) after investigation and collation of evidence, we finally came out with cases against Alice Guo and five others of her cohorts,” Santiago said.
He said the charges stemmed from the counter-affidavit that Guo’s lawyers filed before the DOJ last Aug. 17 during the preliminary investigation of the qualified trafficking in persons complaint filed against her.
The counter-affidavit that was signed by Guo was notarized by Galicia on Aug. 14 even though the former mayor had already left the Philippines since last July.
“Wala na po si Ms. Alice Guo (Guo is no longer here) during the time that the supposed counter-affidavit was submitted during the preliminary investigation before the DOJ,” said NBI Fraud and Financial Crimes Division Chief Palmer Mallari who is also the head of Task Force Alice Guo.
“Maliwanag po ang mga testimonies na nakuha natin dito (This is clear from the testimonies made during the Senate investigation),” Mallari said.
Apart from the testimonies made during the Senate hearings, Mallari said the NBI’s Questioned Documents Division (QDD) also examined the signature in the counter-affidavit to the sample signatures of Guo.
“Iba po pumirma doon sa counter-affidavit (It was a different person who signed the counter-affidavit),” concluded Mallari who cited the findings of the QDD.
Under the rules, a document can only be notarized by a lawyer commissioned by the Supreme Court to be a notary public if it is signed by the affiant, like Guo, in the presence of the notary public.
The DOJ had filed the non-bailable qualified trafficking in persons case against Guo and her co-accused before the Pasig City Regional Trial Court (RTC). She pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The case involved the alleged criminal activities committed by Zun Yuan Technology Center, a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) that was raided by authorities in Bamban.