DOJ to File Human Trafficking Charges Against Alice Guo and Alleged POGO Boss

The Department of Justice (DOJ) is preparing to file qualified human trafficking charges this week against former Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo and her alleged business partners, including the purported POGO “big boss,” Huang Zhiyang.

This move follows the Supreme Court’s recent decision to transfer the case from the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 66 in Capas, Tarlac, to the Pasig Regional Trial Court. The DOJ had requested this transfer in a letter dated April 22, 2024, addressed to Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo. Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla sought the transfer due to concerns about the neutrality of the trial environment given the involvement of Guo and her associates.

“Iyong main factor dito, si Mayor Alice Guo saka kanyang mga kasamahan, mga korporasyon. Tatlong korporasyon ito, iyong Baofu, Hongsheng, at Zun Yuan… Dahil maliwanag sa ebidensya na nakikipag-ugnayan sila upang maipalaganap ang mga kriminal na gawain ng POGO na ito…. Hiniling natin natin sa Korte Suprema na ilipat ang kaso sa mas neutral ground,” said DOJ Undersecretary Nicholas Felix Ty, who heads the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking. (The main factor here is that Mayor Alice Guo and her associates, including three corporations—Baofu, Hongsheng, and Zun Yuan—are clearly involved in spreading the criminal activities of this POGO. We requested the Supreme Court to move the case to a more neutral ground.)

The DOJ is confident in the strength of the evidence against Guo and her co-defendants. “Nakita ng ating mga prosecutors at law enforcement na kung pagtagpi-tagpiin mo, pagdugtungin mo yung lahat ng ebidensya ay malalim ang partisipasyon ni dating Mayor Alice Guo sa human trafficking,” DOJ Undersecretary Raul Vasquez was quoted as saying in a report published by ABS-CBN. (Our prosecutors and law enforcement have found that when you piece together all the evidence, former Mayor Alice Guo’s involvement in human trafficking is deep.)

Justice Secretary Remulla expressed appreciation to the Supreme Court for their decision. “I commend the SC for their unwavering commitment to safeguard the laws of the land in order to avoid the miscarriage of justice. The DOJ vows that we will prosecute these cases with burning resolve and integrity,” Remulla said in a statement.

The charges under Republic Act (RA) 9208, also known as the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003, do not allow for bail and carry a penalty of life imprisonment.

In addition to the human trafficking case, Guo faces separate allegations of graft, which have already been transferred to the Valenzuela Regional Trial Court. She is also under investigation for tax evasion and money laundering. Guo’s legal team has not yet commented on the upcoming human trafficking charges.

Read related article: Nearly P5 Billion Deposited to Alice Guo Bank Accounts; Senate Unveils Her Link to POGO Hub