The leader of a Philippine Online Gaming Operation (POGO) who faked her Filipino citizenship has been sentenced to life in prison for human trafficking.
Alice Guo, whose real identity is Guo Hua Ping, was among 8 people sentenced to life in prison by the Pasig Regional Trial Court, as the country continues to deal with the consequences of POGOs almost a year on from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr outlawing the sector.
Guo was elected as the Mayor of the town of Bamban, in the province of Tarlac, in 2022. However, she was forced to flee the Philippines two years later when allegations arose that she was at the heart of an operation in the town that was being used as a front to carry out online scams.
A raid on a compound in the town in March 2024 discovered over 700 Filipino and foreign nationals at the site, many of whom stated that they had been forced to take part in the scams.
Guo initially denied all knowledge of the compound following the raid. However, it later emerged that the POGO was built on land owned by Guo, and she was eventually arrested in Indonesia in September 2024.
Further investigations also revealed that the Chinese-born Guo had faked her Filipino identity to run for Mayor of Bamban.
“The court’s promulgation on November 20, 2025, makes clear that Guo’s power, wealth, and public persona were built entirely on human trafficking, online scam operations, and a fabricated identity,” said the Presidential Anti-Organised Crime Commission (PAOCC) in a statement.
“This eagerly awaited ruling is not only a legal victory but also a moral one. It delivers justice to victims, reaffirms the government’s united stance against organised crime, and marks a defining moment in the country’s fight against large-scale trafficking and online scam syndicates.”
Alongside life imprisonment, each defendant was also ordered to pay Php 2m (£25,942) in reparations. Philippine authorities also secured the forfeiture of the Baofu compound, another site which PAOCC lists as being another hub for trafficking, illegal gaming and cyber fraud.
These revelations go some way to justifying President Marcos’ decision to outlaw POGOs, who at the time of announcing the action, described the operations as having “ventured into illicit areas beyond gaming, such as financial scamming, money laundering, prostitution, human trafficking, kidnapping, brutal torture – even murder”.
Despite being almost a year down the line, PAOCC is still pursuing members of these dismantled networks. In total, the commission is overseeing 55 related cases, with 33 now in active trial, eight under preliminary investigation at the Department of Justice, 10 in case development, and five already resolved.
“PAOCC remains persistent in seeking justice for the victims who endured detention, threats, and exploitation inside the compound,” said the organisation. “These individuals were not mere figures in an investigation—they were human beings whose dignity was violated, and whose stories, courage, and cooperation made this victory possible.”
