Manila 6th district Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. (left), Lanao del Sur 1st district Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)

Ranking congressmen have expressed support for the Office of the Solicitor General's (OSG) plan to file a quo warranto case against controversial Mayor Alice Guo of Bamban, Tarlac. 

Manila 6th district Rep. Bienvenido "Benny" Abante Jr. and Lanao del Sur 1st district Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong are of the opinion that a quo warranto case must be pursued in order to set the record straight. 

"We welcome that. Alam mo, malaking garapalan na ito eh (You know, this is very blatant)," Abante said in press conference Thursday, May 16, his disdain for the lady official quite apparent. 

"Itong Bamban Mayor Alice Guo sa kanyang mga sagot tingan natin maigi kung talagang Pilipino ito. Alam ninyo hindi siya dapat maging mayor kung hindi mapatunayang Pilipino siya, dapat lamang na tanggalin na ito bilang mayor," said the chairman of the House Committee on Human Rights. 

(Let's see from the answer of this Bamban Mayor Alice Guo if she truly is Filipino. You know, she shouldn't be mayor if it's proven that she's not Filipino, she should be removed as mayor.) 

A quo warranto case is a challenge to a public official's right to his or her office. If the case is successful, then Guo could be unseated. 

As far as Abante is concerned, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) should already do the honors and unseat Guo. 

"I hope that, puwede naman itong tanggalin na ng DILG kung kinakailangan, kung talagang merong batayan ng kanyang pagtanggal eh hindi na kailangan pang i-delay ang pagtanggal nito eh," he said. 

(The DILG can already remove her if needed, if there is truly a basis for her removal then it shouldn't be delayed anymore.) 

Adiong, in the same presser, echoed Abante's support for the quo warranto. 

"Ako po, I agree with the direction that is now being taken by the [OSG], because we also have to protect yung right ng mga kakababayan natin na bumoto sa kanilang kapwa Pilipino (we also have to protect our countrymen's right to vote for their fellow Filipino)," said Adiong, an assistant majority leader in the House of Representatives. 

"Kasi, nasa Constitution na po iyan (Because that is in our Constitution)," he said.