May 22 2024. 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 — The Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) on Thursday said the Court of Appeals CA) ordered to freeze the assets of Bamban Mayor Alice Guo and others allegedly involved in the illegal activities of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (Pogos).
In a statement shared to Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian’s office Thursday night, AMLC said the CA approved their ex parte petition for the issuance of freeze order, effectively freezing the assets of the following individuals and entities:
- Alice Guo
- Zhiyang Huang
- Baoying Lin
“The petition filed by the MALC on July 8, 2024 under Section 10 of Republic Act No. 9160, also known as the AMLC Act of 2001, as amended and Rule 10 of its 2018 Implementing Rules and Regulations (2018 IRR), sought to freeze various bank accounts, real properties and personal assets connected to the suspected syndicate,” AMLC said.
According to the AMLC, Guo, Huang, and Lin are suspected of orchestrating human trafficking and fraudulent activities through entities such as Zun Yuan Technology Inc., Baofu Land Development Inc., and Hongsheng Gaming Technology Inc.
“The investigation uncovered significant financial transactions and assets amassed by these individuals, raising suspicions of their involvement in money laundering, human trafficking, and other illicit operations,” it said.
Meanwhile, AMLC detailed that the Court of Appeals’ approval of the freeze order encompasses a wide range of assets, including the following:
- 90 bank accounts across 14 financial institutions
- Several real properties and high-value personal properties (such as luxury vehicles and a helicopter)
In a separate Viber message to reporters, Gatchalian disclosed that Guo has 36 bank accounts under her name.
Guo has been the subject of scrutiny after the Senate committee on women bared her alleged ties to Zun Yuan Technology, the raided Pogo firm in Bamban, Tarlac.
Guo has denied all accusations hurled against her, including being an alleged spy of China.
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