Does Amelia Leal, Mayor Alice Guo's alleged Filipino mother, really exist?

Amelia Leal, declared by Mayor Alice Guo as her Filipino mother, does not have a birth or marriage certificate, nor a death certificate.

No, it wasn't a TV series.

But Filipinos watching the Senate hearing last Wednesday (May 22) probably felt like they were solving a riddle when controversial Mayor Alice Guo of Bamban, Tarlac, answered questions about her family background.

Guo faced the Senate for the second time as the chamber continued its investigation into his alleged involvement in illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming (POGO) operations in his province.

Before the May 22 Senate showdown, Guo, in an exclusive interview with journalist Karen Davila on May 20, said she had paternal half-siblings. She claimed she was the love child of Angelito Guo, a Chinese man, and Amelia Leal, a Filipina who worked as a housekeeper for Angelito's wife.

Senator Risa Hontiveros, however, was able to recover the birth certificates of the mayor and his supposed half-siblings, Sheila and Seimen. Their birth certificates indicate that they have the same mother, Amelia.

But things became even more confusing when it was discovered that Amelia, the supposed mother of Guo's siblings, had no birth certificate. This is an important part of Guo's journey, as his Filipino citizenship depends on his mother, who is expected to be Filipino. Without a Filipino mother, she cannot be considered a Filipino citizen.

The supposed marriage of Angelito and Amelia is also reflected in the birth certificates of the three siblings. But here's the catch: The Guo siblings' three documents show three different marriage dates.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), Amelia may not exist at all, as she has no birth, marriage or death certificate. “Maaari po na hindi existent ang tao (It is possible that the person does not exist)”, said of Eliezer Ambatali of the PSA.

It's also possible that Alice Guo's mother simply didn't sign up. In 2019, the PSA said some five million Filipinos nationwide remained unregistered. The cost associated with applying for a certificate remains the most common barrier for poor parents.

According to the PSA, a birth certificate is a civil status document which establishes the birth of a child. It is used to “authenticate a person’s identity and nationality, and assist in obtaining government-issued identity documents.”

But isn't it strange that someone who is a mayor and owns several businesses has obscure government records?

During the hearing, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said the irregularities in the birth certificates of the Guo siblings further demonstrate how non-Filipinos abused the PSA's late birth registration policy to obtain government documents.

Despite irregularities in Alice Guo's birth certificates, she managed to obtain other government IDs and report to Bamban City Hall.

A general information sheet (GIS) of one of Guo's companies lists his family members – his siblings Seimen and Shiela, his father Angelito (whose Chinese name is Jianzhong Guo), and a certain Chinese national Lin Wenyi.

All have the same address, indicating that they may have been living under the same roof. But even the address itself was reported by Gatchalian to be as questionable as he had it checked in Valenzuela city records.

“Itong addresses exactly the same address kung saan isa sa mga kaibigan namin nakatira roon. Kilala ko mai-ari nito. The Bayle family. Were you renting with them? » asked Gatchalian.

(This address is exactly the same address where one of my friends lives. I know the owner. The Bayle family.)

In response, Guo said: “Hindi ko po alam, your honor. Bata pa po ako noon (I don't know, Your Honor. I was a child then).

But who is Lin Wenyi? Why does she have the same address as the Guos? The mayor only said she wasn't sure.

A document from the National Pig Breeders Federation, Inc. indicates that Alice Guo, Jianzhong Guo and Lin Wenyi are owners of QJJJ Farm.

Are Angelito and Lin Wenyi just business partners? Will Filipinos see “Amelia” testify before the Senate after all the government’s questionable documents are presented? Or are Guo's lawyers training someone to impersonate Amelia? The plot thickens.

– Rappler.com