PAOCC Will File Criminal Raps VS Mayor Alice Guo
ALICE GUO – Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) is set to file criminal complaints against Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo.
With substantial evidence linking her to an illegal Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) hub in Bamban, Tarlac, the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) is preparing to file criminal complaints against suspended mayor Alice Guo and others.
Based on a report from Philstar, the charges will be presented to the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Friday, detailing Guo’s alleged involvement with Zun Yuan Technology Inc., a POGO hub situated at the Baofu compound behind the Bamban municipal hall. This site was raided in March following reports of human trafficking and other illicit activities.
When asked about the specific charges, PAOCC spokesman Winston John Casio stated: “The cases must be related to the search warrant. The search warrant was for human trafficking.” During a news forum in Quezon City, Casio mentioned that the complaint would also name the POGO firm’s incorporators and several other unidentified individuals.
Officials from the PAOCC and other government agencies are scheduled to meet on Tuesday to finalize the charges against Guo and others, which Casio described as serious and non-bailable offenses.
Previously, the Office of the Ombudsman imposed a six-month preventive suspension on Guo and two other local government officials while an investigation is conducted to determine their responsibility for the illegal activities at the POGO hub.
Casio emphasized that Guo’s connection to Zun Yuan is undeniable, supported by documents linking her to the POGO hub, including an officially authenticated document with her signature.
“The liability of the current mayor of Bamban is on paper. It’s not a matter of conjecture anymore,” Casio said..
In a related development, the Pampanga Provincial Board held a committee hearing on the recent raid of a POGO compound in Porac town.
Friday’s hearing, led by Third District Board Member Ananias Canlas and attended by Porac Mayor Jaime Capil and other town officials, aimed to investigate how the POGO facility was able to operate despite existing government procedures and regulations.
According to the report, the Board examined the actions of the local government unit to assess if the facility complied with government regulations.
Both Canlas and Pampanga Vice Governor Lilia Pineda expressed regret over the incident, noting that it had significantly harmed the reputation of local officials and the province.
During the hearing, Capil asserted that local officials had fulfilled their responsibilities, emphasizing that he had been stringent in issuing permits to businesses on the local fire bureau’s “negative list.”
He informed the Board that a facility inspection was conducted on May 3, but they were only allowed access to the holding area and were barred from entering the main compound.
The Provincial Board plans to hold additional hearings on the matter.
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