Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo's supervision over the police in her town will be revoked after the ongoing investigation, Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos said on Monday, May 20.
During a press briefing at Camp BGen Rafael T Crame, Quezon City, Abalos said he instructed the National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM) to conduct an investigation regarding Guo's case.
“I instructed NAPOLCOM to initiate proceedings for the withdrawal of the mayor's deputization,” Abalos said.
Abalos clarified that the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has no power to directly suspend any official; therefore, it only created a task force to investigate Guo.
“Ibig sabihin nito, pagkatapos namin ng imbestigasyon na ito—of course, may sufficient grounds—we will withdraw the deputization of Mayor Guo. As a consequence, all of the privileges attached thereto I revoke immediately including control and supervision of the local police,” Abalos noted.
On Saturday, the DILG recommended to the Ombudsman the preventive suspension of Guo “over troubling findings of illegal acts.”
"The DILG recommended to the Ombudsman the issuance of a preventive suspension against Mayor Guo to prevent any influence on the continuing investigations of our and other agencies," he said.
According to Abalos, the DILG created a task force on April 5 to look into Guo's alleged link to illegal activities of the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) in her town.
The head of the task force is Atty. Benjamin Zabala of DILG's Internal Audit Service submitted its report, which was forwarded to the Ombudsman on Friday.
