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Former Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo, also known as Guo Hua Ping, has been found guilty of qualified human trafficking in connection with the operations of an illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hub in her municipality.
The Pasig City Regional Trial Court Branch 167 handed down the conviction on Thursday, sentencing Guo and three of her co-accused to reclusion perpetua (life imprisonment) and ordering them to pay ₱2 million in damages.
Deputy State Prosecutor Olivia Torrevillas confirmed the ruling, adding that the court also ordered the forfeiture of the entire Baofu compound—the property where the POGO operation was located—in favor of the government.
Guo was ordered transferred immediately from the Pasig City Jail to the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City. She and several co-accused attended the promulgation via videoconference and did not appear in person.
The Pasig court earlier denied her motion for leave to file a demurrer to evidence in May.
The conviction stems from a complaint filed by the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) and the Philippine National Police, following a high-profile raid last year on a POGO hub operated by Zun Yuan Technology in Bamban.
Authorities rescued over 800 workers—many believed to be victims of trafficking—during the operation.
The POGO facility was constructed on property owned by Baofu Land Development Inc., a company linked to Guo. Investigators said Baofu leased the compound to Zun Yuan Technology.
The Department of Justice previously stated that Guo violated provisions of the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2022, which penalizes those who “organize, provide financial support, or direct other persons to commit acts of trafficking.”
Aside from Guo, the DOJ complaint also named several executives and representatives connected to Zun Yuan and other POGO operations, including former TLRC deputy director general Dennis Cunanan, who remains at large along with Chinese nationals Zhang Ruijin and Lin Baoying.
Out of Guo’s 15 co-accused, seven were also convicted. Authorities said efforts continue to locate others who remain at large.
