MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a qualified human trafficking case against ex-Bamban Mayor Alice Guo (real name: Guo Hua Ping) and several others before the Pasig City Regional Trial Court.
This was said by DOJ Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Mico Clavano IV in an ambush interview on Wednesday.
Among the respondents were Huang Zhiyang, Zhang Ruijin, Baoying Lin, and Guo’s alleged business partners.
Huang, Zhang, and Baoying were allegedly connected to property developer Baofu Land Development Inc., which leased its land to a Philippine offshore gaming operator in Bamban, Tarlac.
READ: SC transfers Pogo trafficking cases to Metro Manila courts
“‘Yung jurisdiction po ng kaso — dahil doon naganap ‘yung krimen — ay nasa Capas, Tarlac. However, dahil po sa inilabas na administrative circular ng Supreme Court [ay] nailipat po natin sa Pasig City,” Clavano said.
(The jurisdiction of the case — because the crime happened there — is in Capas, Tarlac. However, due to an administrative circular issued by the Supreme Court, we were able to transfer it to Pasig City.)
They were charged with violation of Republic Act No. 9208, known as the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003, as amended by the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2012 and the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2022.
The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission and Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group filed the complaint against Guo and others last June.
READ: Alice Guo admits signing counter-affidavit before fleeing PH
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.
In a Senate hearing on Monday, Guo admitted to signing the last page of her counter-affidavit for her human trafficking complaint before she escaped the country.