The graft case of dismissed Mayor Alice L. Guo before the Tarlac regional trial court (RTC) should have been filed before the Sandiganbayan, Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla on Monday, Sept. 9.
The Tarlac RTC based in Capas has issued an arrest order against Guo based on the case filed by the Office of the Ombudsman (OMB) on complaint lodged by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).
“Parang nagkamali rin yata ‘yung mga prosecutors ng Ombudsman i-file ‘yun sa Tarlac kasi Salary Grade 30 si Alice Guo (Prosecutors of the OMB may have made a mistake in filing the graft case before the Tarlac court because dismissed Mayor Guo is Salary Grade 30),” Remulla pointed out.
The RTCs have jurisdiction over graft cases filed against government personnel with Salary Grade 26 and below. The Sandiganbayan has jurisdiction on cases against public officials and employees with Salary Grade 27 and above.
“We will ask clarification to this matter,” Remulla said.
“We will write the Ombudsman on this matter kasi parang baka na-oversight lang, baka hindi lang nila natingnan ng husto kung bakit naifile ‘yan sa RTC samantalang Salary Grade 30 ang isang mayor ng Bamban (because it may be an oversight and they did not examine carefully as to why the case was filed before the RTC when a mayor is a Salary Grade 30).”