Bamban Mayor Alice Guo of Tarlac on Monday maintained she is a Filipino citizen.
“I am a Filipino. My mother, my biological mother is a Filipino,” she said in a mix of English and Filipino in an interview with TV Patrol.
The local government official said it was difficult to publicly discuss her childhood, because her mother left her with her father as soon as she was born.
“I found out directly from my father that my mother used to be our maid,” Guo said.
She maintained she holds a Filipino passport, which she got when she was between 17 and 19 years old.
“I only have one passport, I’m Filipino. I am a Philippine passport holder, and I am Filipino,” Guo said.
The mayor added that she finds it hard to answer questions from senators during the Senate hearing about her past as she has a “painful childhood,” apologizing for her hesitation.
“I apologize for not being able to answer properly, because it hurts me too much,” Guo said.
“I grew up in a farm, I didn’t go to formal school. I worked while a tutor came to the farm every day,” she added.
Guo also expressed fear of getting deported despite being a Filipino.
“I have heard a lot that I will be deported. My own mother left me. Now my own country I will turn my back on. I will be deported, where will I be deported? Malaysia, China, Singapore? I only have one passport, I am a Filipino,” she concluded.
