CITING the case embarking on the suspicious character behind Bamban Mayor Alice Guo, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) hinted at the need for stricter laws governing certificates of candidacy.
In a radio interview moments after furnishing the Senate a copy of Guo’s COC, Comelec chairman George Garcia admitted that their “hands are tied” with the poll body’s role limited to ministerial acceptance of COCs submitted by political aspirants vying for national and local elective posts.
“Dapat gawin hindi ministerial ang duty namin, we have the right to refuse to accept the certificate of candidacy or at the same time require them (aspirants) to submit supporting documents to claims declared in the COC… age halimbawa, sabi niya siya ay 21 years of age para maging mayor, dapat may kalakip na birth certificate,” Garcia was quoted as saying.
“Kung sinabi na siya ay Filipino citizen o kaya ay natural-born citizen, ano pa ang mga dokumento na nagpapatunay na siya ay citizen ng Pilipinas. Pwede pong i-require yun,” Garcia further averred.
The poll body’s main man likewise “waterloos” under the existing laws which doesn’t provide avenues to check the veracity of the information provided in the COCs – since it is done under oath.
Lying under oath could only lead to a perjury case.
The Senate committee on women chaired by Senator Risa Hontiveros earlier vowed to “go deeper” in view of what has been described as “highly suspicious background” of Bamban town’s local chief executive under probe over supposed links with the illegal POGO operation not far from the municipal town hall.
During the previous hearing, Hontiveros expressed doubt over Guo’s real nationality since the latter was registered when she was already 17 years old. Her father is Jian Zhong Guo, whom she admitted using Angelito Guo as Filipino name.
What sparked the lady senator during the hearing were the excuses uttered by embattled local chief executive who claimed she did not have school records because she was home-schooled. Interestingly, Guo could neither identify the school which supposedly granted her the convenience of schooling right inside the comfort of their home.
Hontiveros suspects Guo is a Chinese national. (ANGEL F. JOSE)
