By Erika Mae P. Sinaking
A PHILIPPINE TRIAL COURT on Thursday sentenced dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice L. Guo, who is accused of having ties to Chinese criminal syndicates, to life imprisonment after finding her guilty of qualified human trafficking, a government anti-crime agency said on Thursday.
A Pasig court convicted Ms. Guo and three others for organizing trafficking inside the Baofu compound, according to Marvin dela Paz, communications chief and spokesperson for the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC).
“All guilty individuals are sentenced to life imprisonment and a fine of P2 million each per case, in addition to monetary reparations to the victims,” Mr. Dela Paz told reporters over Viber.
“The Baofu compound is also forfeited in favor of the government.” The multibillion-peso Baofu Land Development Compound allegedly harbored victims and facilitated recruitment for scams related to Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs).
The legal counsel for Alice Guo did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The court consolidated eight criminal cases involving qualified trafficking, stemming from alleged syndicated labor trafficking activities in Bamban, Tarlac, under the guise of three corporate entities: BAOFU Land Development, Inc., Hongsheng Gaming Technology, Inc., and Zun Yuan Technology, Inc.
“After more than a year, the court acted swiftly and delivered a favorable decision,” Deputy State Prosecutor Olivia I. Laroza-Torrevillas told reporters. “This is the first time we filed a case for organizing human trafficking, and it is also the first conviction for this charge.”
She confirmed that eight of the 16 accused were acquitted, while Ms. Guo is set to be immediately transferred to the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City.
“There were acquittals, which we expected. What is important is that all our main players were convicted,” Ms. Laroza-Torrevillas added.
The Philippine Senate launched a congressional probe into Ms. Guo in May last year, two months after a police raid revealed a scam center operating out of a facility built on land partially owned by Ms. Guo. It was one of many such centers to spring up across Southeast Asia in recent years.
The raid uncovered hundreds of trafficked workers including foreign nationals, resulting in a human trafficking complaint against Ms. Guo from PAOCC.
Senator Risa N. Hontiveros-Baraquel welcomed the ruling, calling it a victory against corruption, human trafficking, cybercrime, and transnational crimes, and said that those responsible will no longer be able to repeat these offenses.
“I am proud to consider it one of the most consequential Senate inquiries of my career,” Ms. Hontiveros said in a statement, who, as chair of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality, led the entire investigation in 2024.
She said that the Senate investigation’s key contributions included securing a presidential executive order banning POGOs, gathering evidence that led to a guilty verdict, and supporting the passage of the Anti-POGO Law of 2025.
“To the Filipino public, thank you for your vigilant monitoring and oversight…We will continue to demand accountability from all government agencies that failed in their duties and investigate the full extent of Chinese intelligence operations in the country,” she added.
The central allegation involves a conspiracy among the accused, identified as incorporators and responsible corporate officers of the three firms, to commit labor trafficking. Complainants were allegedly recruited and forced to work as “investment love scammers” and to “learn cryptocurrency fraud” to extort money from victims.
Victims were reportedly threatened with serious physical harm or penalties if they failed to meet quotas.
Ms. Guo allegedly used her public office to facilitate the operations of the alleged trafficking syndicate. She allegedly represented herself as President of BAOFU Land Development, Inc., and purchased properties in Bamban in April 2019.
As Mayor, she reportedly expedited favorable actions and issued a business permit to Zun Yuan Technology, Inc., in June 2023 despite the company lacking required government permits, including PAGCOR accreditation.
In June 2025, the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 34 ruled that Alice Leal Guo and Guo Hua Ping were the same person, declaring her a Chinese national and ineligible to hold office.
Following suspension, the Office of the Ombudsman formally dismissed her in August 2024 for grave misconduct tied to the POGO hub. Ms. Guo was transferred to the Pasig City Jail Female Dormitory in September 2024, under a court order. — with Adrian H. Halili and Reuters