Suspended Bamban Mayor Alice Guo, along with former Technology and Livelihood Resource Center deputy director general Dennis Cunanan and 12 others, has been formally charged with human trafficking offenses by Philippine authorities. According to a GMA News Online report, the charges relate to operations at a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hub in Guo’s jurisdiction, which was recently raided.
Filed by the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission and the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, the complaint alleges violations under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act. Notably, Guo’s alleged associates include fugitive Huang Zhiyang and two others tied to a major money laundering case in Singapore.
Justice Undersecretary and chairperson of the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking, Nicky Ty, outlined the evidence implicating Guo: “Evidence such as her application for the [letter of no objection] from the local government and her involvement in a questionable company was found.”
Further detailing the conspiracy, Prosecutor Benjamin Samson expressed, “We believe that the operations linked to multiple corporations indicate a grand conspiracy to commit labor trafficking.”
The DOJ is also considering an Immigration Lookout Bulletin against Guo to prevent potential flight, given her substantial resources.
Guo was previously suspended for up to six months following graft charges related to the same POGO operations, which are also under investigation for other illegal activities like cryptocurrency and romance scams. Additionally, her Filipino identity is under scrutiny due to discrepancies involving a Chinese passport and familial ties presented in Senate hearings.
Authorities continue to intensify their crackdown on illegal POGO activities, with multiple high-level officials emphasizing the importance of these efforts.
