Former Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo, alongside 31 co-defendants, now faces a total of 62 money laundering charges. The charges stem from their involvement in an illicit Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hub that was located in Bamban. According to a statement from the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Wednesday, the legal panel handling the case recommended filing 26 counts of money laundering against Guo. These charges are based on her alleged involvement in transactions that moved funds resulting from unlawful activities.

Money laundering charges filed against Guo and co-accused:

Guo, who also goes by the name Guo Hua Ping, is accused of using her position and connections to facilitate these illicit financial activities. According to the Philippine News Agency, the DOJ’s spokesperson, Mico Clavano, explained that the charges filed against Guo include violations under two sections of the Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA). The first 26 counts are under Section 4(a), which pertains to the transaction of monetary instruments from unlawful activities. Additionally, Guo faces five more counts under Section 4(b) for the conversion, transfer, or disposition of these illegal proceeds.

Moreover, the remaining 31 counts of money laundering under Section 4(b) involve Guo and several co-defendants who allegedly facilitated the movement of illicit funds. However, not all charges leveled against Guo and her associates were upheld. A separate complaint against Guo for allegedly concealing the origins of the funds was dismissed, as were charges against several individuals, including lawyer Jason Masuerte and business figures Nancy Gamo and Cassie Li Ong. The dismissal was based on a lack of sufficient evidence for a conviction.

The investigation into Guo’s operations has uncovered links to a variety of criminal activities, including scams such as investment fraud, crypto scams, and love scams. Clavano highlighted that Guo and her accomplices allegedly profited from these schemes, with funds then being used to acquire various assets. Guo is also facing additional charges for human trafficking in relation to the June raid on the Bamban POGO hub, where 800 workers—both Filipino and foreign nationals—were rescued under dire conditions.

In this case, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) has suggested that POGOs like the one in Bamban are connected to a larger network of criminal operations. These illicit activities reportedly involve drug syndicates and corporate fraud, making the POGO industry a significant concern for law enforcement. The full extent of these operations is still being uncovered.

Guo’s arrest and international efforts to apprehend her network:

The case has attracted significant attention, particularly after Guo’s arrest in Jakarta last September. Guo had gone into hiding after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declared an outright ban on the offshore gaming industry in July. She had initially fled to Malaysia and later to Singapore before being tracked down in Indonesia. Despite her detention, Guo has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Singapore law enforcement is cooperating with Philippine authorities in efforts to track down Guo’s alleged associates, who are believed to have played a role in assisting her flight from justice. Among these is Zhang Jie, a key figure in illegal online gaming operations spanning both Singapore and the Philippines. Guo is also reportedly connected to Wu Duanren, a major operator of a POGO in Porac, Pampanga. The two individuals are suspected of aiding Guo’s escape from the Philippines last year.

The scope of the criminal enterprise extends beyond Guo and her associates. Authorities have discovered connections to other high-profile money laundering activities. Notably, Guo is said to have had dealings with Zhang Ruijin and Lin Baoying, a couple involved in Singapore’s infamous multibillion-dollar money laundering case. The couple was convicted on charges of money laundering and forgery and deported to Cambodia after serving time in prison.

Despite President Marcos’s unqualified ban on the POGO industry in July, illegal operations persist. On January 8, Philippine authorities raided another illicit POGO facility, this one located in Parañaque City, Metro Manila. The raid led to the arrest of 400 foreign workers, and all have been placed in the custody of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).