Former Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo and several co-accused have been found guilty by the Pasig City Regional Trial Court in connection with a qualified human trafficking case related to Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) operations discovered in their town. Eight of the accused were acquitted by the court.

The Pasig City Regional Trial Court Branch 167 handed down its decision on Guo and fifteen co-accused after more than a year of proceedings. 

The court found Guo and seven other accused guilty of qualified trafficking in persons, a case filed by the Department of Justice (DOJ).

According to Deputy State Prosecutor Olivia Laroza-Torrevillas, those convicted were principals or key figures in the organization of the POGO in Bamban. 

“Finally, after more than one year, napakabilis po ng korte binigay sa atin ‘yong favorable decision. Convicted si Alice and ‘yong seven other accused. Life sentence po ang forfeited ang buong Baofu compound in favor of the government.”

("Finally, after more than one year, the court delivered this favorable decision very quickly. Alice and seven other accused were convicted. The sentence is life imprisonment and the entire Baofu compound is forfeited in favor of the government,") she stated.

Following the verdict, the court ordered Guo's immediate transfer to the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong City, while the other male accused will be sent to the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa. This case is considered a landmark case, the first POGO-related case in the country.

The court's decision also includes a two-million-peso fine for each of those found guilty. The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) expressed gratitude for the court's decision. 

“Napatunayan natin na sa pagkakaisa ng bawat ahensya with all the dedication and sincerity nothing is impossible.”

("We have proven that with unity among all agencies, with all the dedication and sincerity, nothing is impossible,") said PAOCC Chief Undersecretary Benjamin Acorda Jr.

The PAOCC and Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group were the first to file the complaint against the accused with the DOJ. - via Dante Amento

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