Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia stated on Tuesday (September 10) that the legal department of the election commission only approved a 10-day extension.
He said in a radio interview: "The original deadline for the first extension was supposed to be September 2. They requested 15 days, but our legal department only approved 10 days. Therefore, her deadline is September 12, which is 10 calendar days. Thus, the extension granted to former Mayor Guo is from September 2 to September 12."
In a one-page order on September 9, Maria Norina Casingal, the head of Comelec's legal department, stated that this was the final extension granted to Guo.
She added: "No further extensions will be granted thereafter."
Garcia also mentioned that he understands the decision of the legal department to approve the request of Guo's team.
He said: "In preliminary investigations, even in ordinary cases, extensions are granted because this is a criminal case. We have again provided the due process, which is also guaranteed by the constitution."
Previously, Comelec had filed a substantial false statement complaint against Guo, involving false declarations in her certificate of candidacy submitted during the May 2022 elections.
Comelec's legal department served a subpoena to Guo at the mayor's office in Tarlac City on August 13, instructing her to personally submit a rebuttal statement.
Initially, Guo's team requested a 10-day extension, until September 1, to submit the rebuttal statement, which the legal department approved.
On September 5, the election commission received a request from former Mayor Guo submitted on August 30, asking to extend the deadline for submitting the reply by another 15 days.
