Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino affirmed that only the Senate holds a valid arrest warrant for former Bamban mayor Alice Guo, arguing that the Regional Trial Court (RTC) of Capas, Tarlac lacks jurisdiction over her case.
Tolentino cited a transmittal sheet from the Office of the Ombudsman requesting that Guo’s graft cases be tried in the nearest judicial region, in line with the Office of the Court Administrator (OCA) Circular 10-2024 and RA 10660.
He urged the Senate to take custody of Guo, emphasizing that the RTC’s warrant violates jurisdictional rules since Guo’s office was in the same judicial region.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) has blocked 1,500 fraudulent birth registrations, including Guo’s, amid a scandal involving a “birth certificate mill” in Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur.
Former senator Panfilo Lacson revealed that Guo allegedly offered P1 billion to government officials to resolve her legal issues with the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), raising concerns about her links and potential national security risks.
Source: PhilNews24 | September 12, 2024
