Pasig City Court Denies Alice Guo’s Bail Petition
ALICE GUO – A Pasig City court has denied the bail petition of the former mayor of Bamban, Tarlac, due to strong evidence against her and her co-accused.
Guo is facing charges of qualified human trafficking before the Pasig Regional Trial Court, following a raid on a Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) hub in Bamban in June. Over 800 Filipinos and foreign workers were rescued during the operation. Guo’s plea for bail was rejected, meaning she will remain in detention at the Pasig City Jail.
Guo is charged alongside several individuals, including Maybelline Requiro Millo, Rita Sapnu Yturralde, Rowena Gonzales Evangelista, and others. However, bail was granted to Millo and Jaimielyn Santos Cruz, as the evidence against them was deemed weak. Guo, who pleaded not guilty to the charges in September, maintains that the accusations are unfounded.
In addition to the human trafficking case, Guo faces other legal challenges, including charges of graft in Valenzuela City, material misrepresentation in Tarlac, and complaints related to tax evasion, money laundering, and perjury. She has denied any involvement in illegal activities related to POGOs, despite the ongoing investigations.
Guo fled the country in July but was arrested in Indonesia in August and brought back to the Philippines in September. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has imposed a ban on POGOs and the deportation of foreign workers associated with them.
In a related case, Pan Meishu, allegedly linked to the Zun Yuan Technology POGO, was arrested in Pasay City for suspected human trafficking and money laundering, charges similar to those faced by Guo. Pan has been connected to Walter Wong Long, a co-accused of Guo. The government’s crackdown on illegal POGO operations continues, with Guo accused of facilitating Zun Yuan’s entry into Bamban while serving as mayor. She has also denied claims of espionage for China.