Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo answers questions during one of the hearings of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality last May. SENATE PHOTO
By Jaimes R. C. Sumbilon
Government authorities charged suspended Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo with a non-bailable qualified human trafficking complaint at the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Friday.
The complaint, filed by the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) and the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG), accuses Guo, also known as “Guo Hua Ping,” and others of violating Sections 4 and 6 of Republic Act (RA) 9208, or the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003, as amended by RA 10364 and RA 11862.
Aside from Guo, the other respondents include former Technology and Livelihood Resource Center deputy director general Dennis Cunanan, 12 officers and incorporators of three companies, as well as Guo’s alleged business partners Huang Zhiyang, Zhang Ruijin and Baoying Li. Huang is wanted in China, while Zhang and Baoying are linked to a significant money laundering case in Singapore.
The charges stem from a raid earlier this year at the Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) hub Zun Yuan Technology Inc. in Bamban, Tarlac.
At a press briefing, DOJ Undersecretary and Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking chairman Nicholas Ty shared that the PAOCC presented extensive evidence, including documents indicating Guo’s involvement in securing permits for the former POGO operations and her ties to the leasing company.
"Evidence has surfaced, such as the fact that she applied for permits for the POGO from the local government. Her involvement in the lessor company also came to light, along with other pieces of evidence, such as her name appearing in various documents recovered in the POGO compound," Ty said.
According to DOJ official, additional charges may follow as more evidence is gathered.
State Prosecutor Benjamin Samson stressed that Cunanan is believed to be part of a broader conspiracy, linking him to the operations of Zun Yuan through corporate affiliations.
The Justice department is now preparing an Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order against Guo to prevent her from leaving the country.
Despite the possibility of her being a flight risk, authorities are hopeful that Guo will choose to stay in the country and face the allegations against her.
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