Alice Guo Gets Life For Qualified Trafficking

Former Bamban mayor Alice Guo and seven others were convicted of qualified trafficking in persons by a Pasig trial court on Thursday, Nov. 20, and sentenced to life in prison. 

The Pasig Regional Trial Court Branch 167 found Guo, Jaimielyn Santos Cruz, Rachelle Malonzo Carreon and Walter Wong Rong guilty of organizing human trafficking at the Baofu compound, while Chinese nationals Wang Weili, Wuli Dong, Nong Ding Chang and Lang Xu Po were convicted for acts of trafficking.

Each was sentenced to life imprisonment and fined P2 million per case. The entire P6-billion Baofu compound in Bamban, Tarlac was also ordered forfeited in favor of the government.

Guo, who attended the hearing through videoconference, will be transferred immediately from the Pasig City Jail to the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City.

Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission executive director Benjamin Acorda Jr. said the ruling demonstrated the impact of cooperation among agencies and whistleblowers. He said the conviction was “a victory for the government,” noting that the case started from an employee complaint. 

“It’s a show of how unity works – that no matter how powerful or influential the opponent of the agency is, as long as everyone works together, including the community, because this started from a complaint of an employee, it really shows how big the impact is when everyone helps each other toward one goal,” Acorda said.

Acorda said he hoped the decision would discourage illegal operators. 

“This should show others that the government is serious about enforcing the law,” he said, adding that agencies are updating baseline figures to determine how many offshore gaming operations remain active.

Assistant State Prosecutor Olivia Torrevillas said details of the ruling remained confidential due to the nature of the case, but confirmed that eight key players were convicted. 

She said it was the first conviction by a court under Section 4(l) of the Anti-Human Trafficking Law for organizing trafficking activities. “The important thing is that the main players were all convicted,” she said.

The case stemmed from a joint Philippine National Police and PAOCC raid on the Philippine offshore gaming operator Zun Yuan Technology last year inside the Baofu compound, which was leased out to the firm by Guo’s company. 

Torrevillas said several other accused remain at large.

Reactions

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has hailed the conviction of Guo for qualified human trafficking, saying that this is proof that the justice system in the country is working.

“Alice Guo and her cohorts’ conviction is a big win for the Philippines’ fight against human trafficking. It is also an indication that our justice system is working,” DOJ Undersecretary Nicholas Felix Ty said. 

For his part, National Bureau of Investigation chief Angelito Magno said the conviction of Guo was a milestone in the government’s campaign against criminal syndicates and POGO-related abuses. 

He said that the ruling showed that “no network is too sophisticated, no operation too well-funded, and no position too powerful to escape accountability,” stressing that public office can never shield criminal activity.

Senators Risa Hontiveros and Sherwin Gatchalian – who led the Senate investigation on the crime syndicate behind the now outlawed POGO – yesterday lauded the conviction of Guo.

“Today, justice has been served. The conviction of Alice Guo aka Guo Hua Ping is a victory against corruption, human trafficking, cybercrime, and many other transnational crimes,” Hontiveros said.

Gatchalian said Guo’s conviction “is a big win for the Filipino people, including foreign nationals who have been victimized by various criminal activities perpetrated by POGOs.”

“The rule of law has prevailed, and justice has been served. Her conviction should serve as a wake-up call against Filipinos or foreign nationals alike who seek to take advantage of the bureaucracy to carry out atrocities such as human trafficking and online scams,” he said.

In Congress, deputy minority leader and ML party-list Rep. Leila de Lima welcomed yesterday the guilty verdict against Guo. “We are happy that Alice Guo was already meted her sentence that will give justice to her victims,” she said. 

De Lima also called on Congress for the urgent passage of the proposed Anti-Espionage Act. “As we know, espionage today is not limited to shadowy operatives meeting in alleys. It comes disguised as business investments, online gaming hubs, recruitment agencies, students, telecom partnerships, and even public officials,” she said.

For Manila 6th district Rep. Benny Abante, the guilty verdict handed down to Guo has “strengthened the total ban on POGOs in the country.”

“For too long, these illegal POGO hubs operated like shadow syndicates—trafficking workers, violating human rights, and making a mockery of our laws. Today, justice finally caught up with one of the most visible symbols of this despicable crimes,” he said. – With additional reports from Daphne Galvez, Jose Rodel Clapano and Marc Jayson Cayabyab