Bamban Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo appears before the Senate as Sen. Risa Hontiveros flagged Guo’s alleged ties to Chinese “criminals” during Wednesday’s continuation of the Senate probe into the mayor’s links to POGO hubs in the latter’s area. INQUIRER/ MARIANNE BERMUDEZ
MANILA, Philippines — A non-bailable offense of qualified human trafficking was filed before the Department of Justice (DOJ) against suspended Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo on Friday over her link to a raided Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (Pogo) hub in the province.
The Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission also included in the complaint former Technology Resource Center Dennis Cunanan, Chinese national Huang Zhiyang, and the corporate officers of the Zun Yuan Technology Center.
“At meron pang ibang private individuals na pinaniniwalaan namin, at merong malakas na ebidensya, na sangkot doon sa conspiracy para ma-commit ang qualified trafficking in persons,” said Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking Prosecutor Benjamin Samson.
(And there are other private individuals whom we believe, and there is strong evidence, are involved in the conspiracy to commit qualified trafficking in persons.)
“Compelling evidence surfaced linking Mayor Alice Leal Guo, who is now serving as Mayor of Bamban, Tarlac, Dennis L. Cunanan, a Chinese national named Huang Zhiyang, and corporate officers of companies operating under compound or hub located at Bamban, Tarlac allegedly owned by Mayor Guo herself,” read the press briefer provided to reporters.
The Office of the Ombudsman preventively suspended Guo while an investigation is being conducted against her.
READ: Alice Guo ordered suspended as mayor of Bamban, Tarlac
She is facing an administrative complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman for grave misconduct, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of service, and gross neglect of duty.