THE Pasig City Regional Trial Court has convicted former Bamban Mayor Alice Guo of qualified trafficking in connection with criminal activities uncovered in an illegal Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) hub in the town.
The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) shared the information with reporters on Thursday.
The Pasig RTC Branch 167 sentenced Guo to life imprisonment, along with Rachelle Malonzo Carreon, Jaimielyn Cruz, and Walter Wong Rong.
The court also fined the former mayor of P2 million.
Guo and 15 of her co-accused did not personally attend Thursday’s promulgation; instead, they appeared via video conference.
The ruling followed the court’s earlier denial of Guo’s bid to file a demurrer to evidence.
The case stemmed from a complaint filed by the Philippine National Police and PAOCC after authorities raided the Zun Yuan Technology POGO facility last year. The operation was housed on property owned by Baofu Land Development Inc., with Guo linked through her leasing company, Baofu, which rented out spaces to Zun Yuan.
The Department of Justice earlier charged Guo for allegedly violating the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2022, which penalizes those who “organize, provide financial support, or direct other persons to commit acts of trafficking.”
