Alice Guo was accused with trafficking in court

The Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission filed a complaint in June that served as the basis for the human trafficking prosecution against Guo.

The complaint implicated Guo and 13 others due to their connections with a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) in Bamban. Guo was specifically linked because she had set up a leasing company, Baofu, which rented space to the POGO, HongSheng/Zun Yuan.

The POGO site revealed evidence of torture and trafficking.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) asked the Supreme Court (SC) to move the case from its original filing location in Capas, Tarlac, to Metro Manila. The DOJ argued that the case involved national security and required fair handling beyond local jurisdiction. The SC approved the request, instructing the Capas, Tarlac Branch 66, to move all case files to the Pasig City Regional Trial Court.

DOJ Undersecretary Nicholas Felix Ty explained that Guo was indicted under the amended anti-trafficking law, particularly Section 4(l), which penalizes organizing establishments involved in trafficking. He stated, “This is where [dismissed] mayor Guo and her co-respondents were implicated. If it’s proven that you organized a business where human trafficking occurred, you can be charged.”

According to a report by Rappler, senators had been waiting for this case to proceed. After Guo escaped in August, Senator Raffy Tulfo commented that if the case had progressed more quickly and a warrant had been issued sooner, Guo’s escape could have been prevented. However, the DOJ explained that, while they sought a speedy resolution, they couldn’t expedite the legal process.

Guo is currently being held at the PNP Custodial Center following an arrest warrant issued by a Tarlac court in connection with a graft case filed by the interior department. She did not post bail, resulting in her continued detention.

Prior to the warrant, the Senate had already ordered Guo’s arrest, but she managed to flee. She was eventually captured in Indonesia and deported to the Philippines on September 6, where she has remained in PNP custody.

In addition to the trafficking and graft cases, Guo is also facing two separate DOJ investigations for tax evasion and another for money laundering, all of which are linked to her alleged involvement with the Bamban POGO.

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