Ombudsman upholds Guo suspension
Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo. Photo by Rene H. Dilan
THE Office of the Ombudsman denied the motion of Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo to reconsider her preventive suspension.
In an order signed on June 21, 2024, Ombudsman Samuel Martires said he found no compelling reason to reconsider the preventive suspension order.
He also denied the motions of Business Permit and Licensing Officer Edwin Campo and Municipal Legal Officer Adenn Sigua to reconsider their preventive suspension.
"Again, without delving into the merits of the case and without prejudging the same, this office reiterates its preliminary finding that there are sufficient grounds to hold that the evidence against respondents Guo, Campo and Sigua is strong at this time," Martires said.
The Office of the Ombudsman ordered the preventive suspension without pay for the three officials until it completes its investigation of their possible involvement with an illegal online gambling operation.
The investigation stemmed from an administrative complaint filed by the Department of the Interior and Local Government.
Meanwhile, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said a lookout bulletin order (ILBO) against Guo was now in effect.
Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco said on Tuesday that his office received the three-page ILBO dated June 21 from the Department of Justice. Aside from Guo, Guo Hua Ping and 17 others were also on the list.
Guo has been suspended by the Office of the Ombudsman for six months. In a resolution signed by Martires, it said that there is evidence that Guo had a business interest in Baofu Land Development Inc., owner of the land where the raided POGO was located.
A lookout bulletin was issued by the Department of Justice (DoJ) instructing immigration officers to double-check if there are any pending arrest warrants against the subjects, any violation or infraction, or to monitor their itineraries and whereabouts should they attempt to leave the country.
Tansingco said the immigration lookout order against Guo and company is in the BI's computer system and as such, they could not simply leave the country without clearance from the DoJ.
"The alert has been encoded in our system and will allow our officers to monitor Guo and the others on the list if encountered in any airport or seaport nationwide," he added.
Tansingco clarified that the ILBO will not legally bar those on the list, saying that a person subject to the ILBO must seek an allow departure order from the DoJ chief before being given a clearance to leave.