The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will file early next week misrepresentation charges against former Bamban mayor Alice Guo, which will essentially block her reelection bid as mayor.

Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia said their law department has not received any answer from Guo regarding the complaint against her.

“The Comelec will be filing the information in the RTC (regional trial court) in Tarlac. This means that we will formally charge her with misrepresentation, violation of the Election Code,” he said.

Garcia added that they will be pursuing the case despite the dismissed mayor already facing several other cases.

“The people can be assured that we will pursue this case to the fullest because this is an issue on lying about her citizenship,” Garcia said.

There is also a plan for the trial of the cases to be transferred from Tarlac to a Metro Manila court.

“It will be better if the trial will be held in Metro Manila since the accused is under custody here and our Law Department will have a direct hand on the prosecution of the case,” the Comelec chief said.

An election offense case carries the penalty of one to six years imprisonment and perpetual disqualification to hold public office.

Earlier, the poll body adopted the recommendation of its law department for the filing of the criminal raps before a regular court based on evidence showing that Guo committed material misrepresentation in her Certificate of Candidacy (COC) in the May 2022 polls.

Guo has so far failed to prove that she had renounced her Chinese citizenship.

The former mayor is allegedly involved in activities of illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) and isdetained at the Pasig City Jail on charges of qualified human trafficking.

During the Senate hearings on illegal POGOs, there were allegations made that she was a spy of the Chinese government.

She is also facing charges of graft and tax evasion.