BI: Tarlac court's voidance of Alice Guo's birth certificate 'landmark victory' in fight vs identity fraud

The Bureau of Immigration has hailed a Tarlac court’s decision voiding the Philippine birth certificate of dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo – who faces graft and money laundering charges – as a “landmark victory” in upholding the integrity of the country’s identity and civil registry documents.

According to BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado, the decision sets a strong precedent in the government’s efforts to protect the country from identity fraud.

“The RTC ruling is not just about one individual - it sends a resounding message to all foreign nationals who attempt to illegally acquire Philippine documents,” he said in a statement on Sunday.

“We will not allow the sanctity of our nation’s civil registry and identity system to be compromised. This decision reinforces the President’s call to protect our sovereignty, our borders, and the integrity of our institutions,” Viado added.

The BI said the ruling will also serve as a “guiding precedent” in future cases involving the questionable acquisition of Philippine documents by foreign nationals.

This comes as the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) last week announced that Guo’s birth certificate was declared void by the Tarlac City Regional Trial Court Branch 111 on September 24, 2025, a year after it was endorsed to the Office of the Solicitor General.

Guo’s citizenship was questioned due to her inconsistent testimonies about her background and her supposed links to mainland China, and the supposed dubious documents regarding her Filipino citizenship.

She was also investigated for her alleged involvement in an illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operation (POGO) hub in Bamban.

Guo is facing some 87 counts of money laundering, along with a human trafficking complaint in connection to the raid.

Earlier, the Tarlac Regional Trial Court Branch 109 issued an arrest warrant against Guo for a graft charge. — JMA, GMA Integrated News