Chinese Nationals Elected to High Office In The Philippines

The situation regarding Alice Guo is indicative of a much larger problem. To refresh, Guo is a Chinese national who moved to the Philippines at a young age. Somehow she fraudulently obtained a Philippine birth certificate and was able to avail of all the benefits of Philippine citizenship. That included running for and winning the office of Mayor of Bamban. Senator Sherwin Gatchalian says the nation's civil registry system must be overhauled to prevent this from ever happening again. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1253786

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian is seeking to overhaul the country’s civil registration system to prevent foreign nationals from fraudulently acquiring Philippine citizenship, following the controversial case of former Bamban mayor Alice Guo, also known as Guo Hua Ping.

“We want a new CRVS system so there won’t be another Alice Guo — someone pretending to be Filipino just to enter government and deceive people," Gatchalian said in a news release Tuesday.

The lawmaker filed the proposed Philippine Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Act, which seeks to establish a modern and streamlined registration system to accurately determine an individual’s identity for administrative and legal purposes.

The measure raises penalties for forging civil registry documents, providing false information during registration, and aiding the production of fraudulent records.

Gatchalian cited data from the Philippine Statistics Authority indicating that, as of November 2024, at least 1,627 suspicious birth certificates tied to foreign nationals have been flagged, with 18 cases endorsed to the Office of the Solicitor General for cancellation.

A recent court ruling found Guo to be “undoubtedly Chinese,” reinforcing concerns over gaps in the country’s identity verification systems.

The bill is part of a broader effort to protect national security and uphold the integrity of public service, Gatchalian said.

“We must ensure that only legitimate Filipinos have access to public office and government benefits,” he said.

The civil registry system is very prone to abuse with 1,627 suspicious birth certificates tied to foreign nationals being flagged. Another problem is the lack of birth certificates by legitimate citizens. Many Filipinos are not registered at birth. The whole CRVS system is definitely in need of being overhauled. 

Unsurprisingly it turns out the situation with Alice Guo is not singular. Joseph Chua Cua ran for mayor of Virac, Catanduanes in the 2025 elections and was recently disqualified due to questions over his citizenship. He is a former governor of  a former governor of Catanduanes and a former mayor of San Andres.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1254161

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) 1st Division has disqualified Joseph Chua Cua from the May 2025 midterm elections due to unresolved issues surrounding his citizenship, even though he lost in the race for mayor of Virac, Catanduanes.

In a 10-page decision promulgated on Friday and released to the media on Saturday, the Comelec granted the petition for disqualification filed by reelectionist Sinforoso Sarmiento, who alleged that Cua is not a Filipino citizen but a Chinese national, rendering him ineligible to run for public office.

Cua, a former governor of Catanduanes, lost to Sarmiento.

“Accordingly, the Petition for Disqualification is granted. Respondent Joseph Chua Cua is hereby disqualified as a candidate for municipal mayor of the municipality of Virac, Catanduanes,” the ruling stated.

The poll body noted that Cua failed to correct or clarify his citizenship status in official documents. His Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) birth certificate shows he was born in San Andres, Catanduanes, on Oct. 16, 1962, but his prolonged absence from the country and inconsistent residency claims cast doubt on his qualifications.

“Upon calculation, and assuming that Respondent was a resident of the Philippines since birth, he should have been a resident herein for 62 years and six months on the day before the 12 May 2025 NLE (National and Local Elections). However, as it appears, Respondent has been conspicuously absent for one year in the Philippines, something which he failed to explain. This gap in Respondent's residency casts doubt on his compliance with the residence requirement of his derivative naturalization,” the Division said.

It further cited discrepancies in Cua’s residency declarations. While claiming to have lived in Virac for more than 61 years, Cua previously served as mayor of his birthplace, San Andres, from 2001 to 2004.

“It would be mathematically impossible for him to reside in Virac for 61 years and six months while serving as mayor of another municipality,” the Comelec stated.

“This raises even more serious questions regarding the respondent's eligibility to run for any local elective position.”

The poll body pointed out that possessing an identification certificate or being recognized by certain agencies as a Filipino does not conclusively establish citizenship.

“Exercising rights exclusive to Filipinos does not automatically make one a citizen,” it added, stressing that further credible evidence was lacking.

Where was the examination of Cua's citizenship during those previous elections? Perhaps there were no warning signs that would prompt anyone to look. The Comelec needs a complaint in order to investigate a candidate. 

The dismissal of Guo and Cua due to being Chinese nationals raises troubling questions. How many more Chinese nationals occupy high office in the Philippines? Why is this happening? Is this a coordinated effort by the Chinese Communist Party to undermine the Philippines? If that is the case then much more than revamping the CRVS system needs to be done.