MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Justice has recommended the filing of qualified trafficking charges against ex-Bamban Mayor Alice Guo (real name: Guo Hua Ping).
This was said by Justice Undersecretary Nicholas Ty in a press conference on Friday.
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“Ang hatol sa preliminary investigation laban kay Alice Guo ay may finding na prima facie evidence for qualified trafficking in person,” he said.
(The ruling in the preliminary investigation against Alice Guo found prima facie evidence for qualified trafficking in persons.)
Prima facie evidence is defined by the Supreme Court as evidence that is “good and sufficient on its face.”
Ty cited an amendment in Republic Act 9208, also known as the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act, as the reason for the recommendation.
“May napakagandang bagong provision doon sa latest amendment ng ating Trafficking in Persons Act no, ‘yung section 4(l),” he said.
“Nakalagay doon if you organized an establishment that was engaged in human trafficking, maaari kang madawit sa human trafficking,” the official explained.
(There is a very good new provision in the latest amendment to our Trafficking in Persons Act, specifically Section 4(l). It states that if you organized an establishment involved in human trafficking, you could be implicated in human trafficking.)
The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission and Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group filed the complaint against Guo last June.
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The complaint was submitted for resolution on August 6, but the camp of Guo filed a motion to reopen the investigation and admit her counter-affidavit 10 days later.
Atty. Elmer Galicia’s notarization of the counter-affidavit last August 14 raised questions as Guo had already left the country in July.
The motion was refiled last September 6.
Guo is under investigation for her alleged connection with illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators in her town, where abuse and torture also reportedly occurred.