DOJ nixes Guo's plea to reopen investigation on trafficking raps

MANILA – Dismissed Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo's appeal to reopen the investigation on the qualified trafficking case against her has been denied, and charges has been submitted for resolution by prosecutors who will decide whether to file the case before the courts or dismiss it.

"Noong Lunes nagdecide na 'yung panel of prosecutors doon sa qualified trafficking case na tapos na ang paglilitis at submitted for resolution na ang kasong ito (Last Monday the panel of prosecutors decided in the qualified trafficking case that it the hearings have terminated and the case is submitted for resolution)," said Department of Justice (DOJ) Undersecretary Nicholas Felix Ty, who is in charge of the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT), during the Bagong Pilipinas news forum on Thursday.

He said it will be up to the prosecution panel whether to consider and give weight to the counter-affidavit filed by Guo.

Ty added that the DOJ is also inclined to initiate charges against Guo's lawyers, including the notary public who processed her motion despite proof culled by immigration officials that she had fled the country as early as last month.

"Magkakahakbang ang DOJ dahil sa notaryo na 'to dahil sa panig namin maaari siyang managot ng kriminal para sa falsification at mananagot rin siya ng administratibo sa Korte Suprema dahil tayong mga abogado ay may mga obligasyon bilang mga abogado (The DOJ will move against this notary because in our view, he should be held criminally liable for falsification and face administrative charges before the Supreme Court, because we are bound by a set of obligations as lawyers)," he said.

"Pero hindi namin ililimit sa notaryo na ito, dahil sa tingin namin, 'yung mga abogado ni Alice Guo mismo sa preliminary investigation at 'yung kanyang tagapagsalita ay dapat pasagutin din ng kasong administratibo (We are not limiting ourselves to the notary because we feel that Alice Guo's lawyers, during the preliminary investigation, and her spokesperson should also face administrative charges)," Ty said. (PNA)