The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) stated on Saturday that suspended Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo will only be considered as a state witness if she implicates someone higher up in the criminal hierarchy.
Conditions for State Witness Status
PAOCC spokesperson Winston Casio clarified at the Saturday News Forum in Quezon City, “Any state witness for that matter will have to be the least guilty in the entire conspiratorial chain in the commission of a crime. We wouldn’t be open to that discussion until and unless we get higher on the food chain in relation to the crime that this group has committed.” Casio added that based on current evidence, Guo does not appear to be the least guilty.
Guo’s Legal Defense
Guo’s lawyer, Atty. Stephen David, refuted claims of her involvement in Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) operations. “Mayor Alice never insinuated anything about being a state witness for the simple reason that she is not involved in any POGO operation,” he stated. David explained that Guo was the former owner of the land where Baofu Land Development constructed several structures, one of which was leased to Zun Yuan Technology, a POGO company.
Ongoing Investigation
Guo is at the center of an investigation into a raided POGO hub in Bamban linked to alleged illegal activities including human trafficking, torture, and scamming. Documents indicate her involvement in the processing of documents for the hub’s operations. Guo is suspected of being part of a criminal syndicate operated by Chinese nationals.
Legal Actions and Charges
Authorities have filed complaints against Guo and 13 others for violating Sections 4 and 6 of Republic Act (RA) 9208, the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003, as amended by RA 10364 and RA 11862. The National Bureau of Investigation discovered that Guo, also known as “Guo Hua Ping,” shares fingerprints with a Chinese passport holder of the same name. The Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) has recently filed a petition to cancel Guo’s birth certificate.
Suspension and Further Implications
Guo was suspended in June after the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) filed graft charges against her with the Office of the Ombudsman. Senator Sherwin Gatchalian has urged Guo to expose the main players behind illegal POGOs in the country.