Former Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo has been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Pasig Regional Trial Court Branch 167 for qualified human trafficking, promulgated online on Thursday, November 20, with Guo attending the session while detained at the Pasig City Jail Female Dormitory.
The same court likewise sentenced her co-accused namely Rachelle Malonzo Carreon, Jaimielyn Cruz, Walter Wong Rong, Wang Weili, Wuli Dong, Nong Ding Chang, and Lang Xu Po to life imprisonment for violations of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003, as amended by the 2012 and 2022 Expanded Anti-Trafficking laws.
The court ordered Guo to pay a ₱2-million fine and to provide ₱600,000 each in moral and exemplary damages to four trafficking victims, with all monetary awards accruing 6% annual interest from the finality of judgment until full payment.
The court further ordered the forfeiture of the Baofu compound, valued at ₱6 billion, in favor of the government, along with the permanent revocation of the registrations of Baofu Land Development Inc., Hongsheng Gaming Technology Inc., and Zun Yuan Technology Inc.
The case stemmed from a June 2024 raid on a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hub in Bamban, where authorities rescued more than 800 Filipino and foreign workers.
Notably, Guo pleaded not guilty during her September 2024 arraignment, with her legal counsel, Atty. Nicole Jamilla, maintaining that the former mayor denies all allegations.
However, Deputy State Prosecutor Olivia Torrevillas described the ruling as a swift development, emphasizing that Guo and seven co-accused were convicted in just over a year and that the entire Baofu compound was ordered forfeited to the state.
The conviction prompted strong reactions from national lawmakers, including Senator Risa Hontiveros, who welcomed the decision and reiterated calls for broader accountability and deeper investigation into alleged foreign infiltration and exploitation operations in the country.
Following the promulgation, Guo is set to be transferred to the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City, while her co-accused will be committed to the National Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City.
Meanwhile, five other accused: Thelma Barrogo Laranan, Rowena Gonzales Evangelista, Rit Sapnu Yturralde, Merlie Joy Manalo Castro, and Maybeline Requiro Mill—were acquitted after the court ruled that the prosecution failed to establish their guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
Article by Sarah Lorica