Can Former Bamban Mayor Alice Guo Run for Office Again After POGO Controversy? COMELEC Weighs In
Alice guo has been in headlines for a long time, and since the election is fast approaching, we still think it is possible for her to run despite the POGO controversy.
Congress spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco stated that Alice Guo, who was dismissed as mayor of Bamban, Tarlac, because of her alleged connections to illegal POGOs, may still run for a government position.
"Ang kapangyarihan po ng Comelec ay ministerial ang duty pagdating sa COC. So wala po kaming kapangyarihan tanggihan, i-pre-evaluate o i-reject agad 'yung mga pina-file na COC," Laudiangco said on TeleRadyo Serbisyo's Johnson Ikwento Mo.
"Hindi kasi namin basta-basta mare-reject ito. Una, 'yang kaso niya (Guo) ay gumugulong ngayon. Wala pang desisyon ang mga kasong naka-file sa korte at kahit 'yung sa Comelec election offense niya na iniimbestigahan namin, wala pa rin pong final na desisyon," he added.
The Comelec representative did clarify, though, that submitting a COC does not ensure that the candidate is already registered to run in the 2025 elections.
"Hindi po ibigsabihin na na-file 'yung COC sa amin ay garatisado na siyang kandidato. Dahil kung katulad po nitong kasong ito na mayroong mga nakabinbin na kaso bagamat wala pang nadedesisyunan hanggang ngayon, 'pag napagdesisyunan na 'yan, it's either mapa-filean siya ng petition to cancel COC or madi-disqualify siya dahil may na-attach sa kaniya na accessory penalty," he said.
"Lahat kasi — kahit sa tingin namin nuisance candidate — hindi namin pwedeng tanggihan 'yan. Ang ginagawa po ng Comelec is in compliance with due process at sinasampahan ng petition to declare as nuisance candidate," he continued.
The 2025 elections will be a pivotal moment for testing the newly implemented guidelines on the responsible use of social media, artificial intelligence (AI), and internet technology in digital campaigns. This will mark a significant step toward maintaining integrity and fairness in the rapidly evolving landscape of political campaigning.
Via ABS-CBN