62 counts of money laundering have been filed against former Mayor of the Bamban province, Alice Guo in relation to Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hubs located in her local area.
In an update from the DOJ, spokesperson Mico Clavano revealed that the charges relate to allegations of money laundering and using funds for unlawful activity.
The charges are largely linked to allegations of money laundering and an intricate criminal network intertwined with the country’s POGO sector, which has since been outlawed.
Guo, who denies the allegations, was arrested in Indonesia late last year. Her detention followed a number of police raids in her hometown of Bamban in connection with allegations of illegal casino activity.
Adding a further layer of complexity, there has also been the allegation from Philippine officials that Guo’s real identity is Guo Hua Ping – a Chinese national who has helped support criminal gangs in the region.
The news comes amid the tightening of regulatory frameworks in the Philippines, including the outlawing of POGOs from the country after orders from President Marcos.
The government will see the case as a whole as some justification for the outlawing of POGOs, with them leading to significant criminal activity.
When announcing the decision to outlaw POGOs, in his state of the nation address, Marcos said: “Disguising as legitimate entities, their operations have ventured into elicit areas beyond gaming, such as financial scamming, money laundering, prostitution, human trafficking, kidnapping, brutal torture – even murder.
“The grave abuse and disrespect to our system of laws must stop. It is necessary to stop this disturbance in our society, and the desecration of our country.”
Marcos underlined his belief that the outlawing of POGOs can have a significant impact when it comes to solving the country’s problems, as he added that “citizenry must always be vigilant, principled and think of the health of the nation”.
