Alice Guo, Others Face Potential 560-Year Jail Sentence If Guilty of Money Laundering

September 5, 2024 Philippines Crime & Legal

Dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo is set to return to the Philippines this Thursday evening, September 5, 2024. The confirmation came from Committee on Public Services Chairperson Senator Raffy Tulfo.

According to ABS-CBN, Guo’s arrival from Indonesia is scheduled for 6:18 p.m.

Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos and Philippine National Police Chief PGen. Rommel Marbil are accompanying Guo on her journey back. Abalos and Marbil had arrived in Jakarta early Thursday morning to retrieve Guo, who had been secretly fleeing the Philippines prior to her arrest in Indonesia. Abalos carried the Senate-issued warrant for Guo’s arrest.

Guo is facing serious legal consequences. The Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) revealed on Thursday that if convicted, Guo and her co-accused could face up to 560 years in prison.

AMLC lawyer Adrian Arpon informed the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights that the money laundering charges carry penalties of 7 to 14 years per count.

“Under the Anti-Money Laundering Act, the commission of money laundering carries with it the penalty of imprisonment. For Sections A, B, and C, from 7 years to 14 years per count,” lawyer Adrian Arpon of the AMLC was quoted as saying in a report published by PNA.

The AMLC and the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) have filed 87 counts of money laundering against Guo, her sibling Shiela Guo, Cassandra Ong, and 28 others for their alleged involvement with Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).

Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros, who chairs the subcommittee handling the inquiry, calculated that even at the minimum sentence of 7 years per count, the total sentence could exceed a lifetime.

“So, kahit kunin natin yung 7 years minimum times 87, eh medyo matagal-tagal po yun. Ano po ba yun? 560 years more or less? Thereabout. So, medyo lampas na po sa isang lifetime kahit dun sa minimum 7 years, kahit sa isang count lamang (So, even if we take the 7 years minimum times 87, that’s quite a long time. What is that? 560 years more or less? Thereabout. So, it’s a bit more than a lifetime at least 7 years, even in one count),” Hontiveros said.

Hontiveros also expressed expectations that the panel will soon uncover those who assisted the Guo siblings and Ong in their alleged criminal activities.

“Slowly we are seeing the full extent of the criminal activities of this sham and dismissed mayor. At malapit na rin nating maungkat sino ang mga tumulong, nagpayaman, nag-enable, at sa mga nakalipas na buwan at linggo, kumupkop sa kanya (And we will soon find out who helped, enriched themselves, enabled, and in the past months and weeks, sheltered her),” she said.

In a related development, Cassandra Ong was unable to appear at the second hearing due to a sudden health issue. According to a letter from House Committee on Dangerous Drugs Secretary Arturo Felix Catarata, Ong’s blood pressure and blood sugar levels dropped significantly during the hearing. She has been advised to remain in the hospital for two to three days to stabilize her condition.

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) are currently processing Guo’s return. Senator Risa Hontiveros has indicated that Guo will be detained at the Senate upon her arrival.