It is horrifying that a Chinese national succeeded in winning in the country’s elections and assume a local government seat, Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros said.
Hontiveros made this assessment following the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) discovery that the fingerprints of Guo Hua Ping, a Chinese national, matched that of suspended Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Leal Guo.
While she is no longer surprised to know about this development, the senator said she can’t help but be dismayed at the failure of government agencies to stop such exploitation.
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is the first agency to discover that the fingerprints of Guo Hua Ping matched that of the local chief executive.
Comelec Chair George Erwin Garcia has said the poll body’s fact-finding panel looking into her voting, registration, and candidacy records has recommended the filing of an election offense of misrepresentation against her.
“Hindi naman na nakakagulat na iisa ang fingerprint ni Guo Hua Ping at Mayor Alice Guo sa Comelec records. Napatunayan na nga ng NBI na iisang tao lang sila (It’s not surprising to learn that Guo Hua Ping and Mayor Alice Guo have the same fingerprints. The NBi has proven that they are just one person),” Hontiveros said.
“Gayunpaman, nakakakilabot pa rin na may Chinese national na naging alkalde ng isang bayan sa Pilipinas (Nevertheless, it’s horrifying to know that there is a Chinese national that became a mayor of one town in the Philippines),” she pointed out.
Hontiveros said this also affirms the various lapses in the laws and regulations of many institutional systems, from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) to the Comelec.
“Kaya patuloy ang aming hearing sa Senado para matugunan ang mga pagkukulang na ito (That’s why we will continue our hearings in the Senate to address these concerns and lapses),” she said.
At the same time, Hontiveros renewed her call for the mayor to heed the Senate’s subpoena for her to appear at the committee on women and children’s investigation into all Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGO)- related crimes.
“Patuloy din ang ating panawagan kay Guo Hua Ping na kusa nang magpakita (We continue to call on Guo Hua Ping to voluntarily appear in the hearing),” she said.
“Hindi matatahimik ang buhay niya sa patuloy na pag-iwas sa Senado (Her life won’t be peaceful if she continues to evade the Senate),” she added.