There are no indications that dismissed Mayor Alice L. Guo of Bamban, Tarlac has already left the Philippines, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said on Monday afternoon, August 19.
“As far as we know, Mayor Guo is still in the country,” said DOJ Assistant Secretary Jose Dominic F. Clavano IV.
“There has been no report to us of an attempted departure from the Bureau of Immigration,” Clavano said.
The DOJ's statement was issued in response to the allegations made by Sen. Risa Hontiveros that Guo had already left for Malaysia last July 17.
Clavano reminded that just last Friday, August 16, Guo, through her lawyers, filed a motion with an attached counter-affidavit before the DOJ concerning the qualified trafficking in persons complaint she is facing.
He said Guo's counter-affidavit was “sworn to before a Philippine notary public on August 14, 2024."
Also, Clavano said “there have been reported sightings from LEAs (law enforcement agencies) after July 18, 2024.”
“We are currently awaiting official verification from National Bureau of Investigation if the documents attributed to them are authentic. We will continue to gather information from both the Bureau of Immigration and the NBI," he also said.
He stressed that "Guo's case is a case of national significance,” as he pointed out that if Guo has already left the country "a thorough investigation is needed to hold those responsible accountable.”