The 87 counts of money laundering charges involving P100 million filed against dismissed mayor Alice L. Guo of Bamban, Tarlac and her 35 co-respondents have been submitted for resolution.
This means that the panel of prosecutors of the Department of Justice (DOJ) will decide whether to dismiss the charges or file the cases in court.
Guo and her co-respondents were charged with violations of Republic Act No. 9160, the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2001, in connection with alleged irregular P100 million transactions of the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) Zun Yuan Technology, Inc. in Bamban town.
DOJ Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Charlie Guhit, head of the panel, said that Guo, her sister Shiela, Cassandra Li Ong, and many of the other respondents submitted their counter-affidavits on Friday, Nov. 8.
Thus, Guhit said "the cases are submitted for resolution.”
He assured that the cases will be resolved immediately.
Guhit noted that the preliminary investigation hearings, which started last Oct. 4, experienced delays due to typhoon Kristine and the10th Session of the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction held last Oct. 14 and 15.
During the last hearing on the case, Guhit recounted “a lot of respondents attended the hearing” to file their counter-affidavits including Ong and Shiela Guo.
Alice arrived in the afternoon to subscribe before the panel her counter-affidavit since she was arraigned in the morning before the Valenzuela City court on a graft case filed against her.
Guhit also recounted that some of the Chinese respondents were also present during the hearing including their counsels from the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO).
“According to PAO lawyers they will not submit anymore counter-affidavits and hence they submited the case for resolution,” he disclosed.
However, Guhit said “there are some respondents who failed to attend today’s hearing despite the issuance of subpoenas.”
The respondents who failed to appear and did not submit their counter-affidavits included former Technology Resource Center (TRC) director general Dennis L. Cunanan.
“We will resolve the case against them based on the complaint and the supporting evidence in support of the complaint,” he said. .
The complaint was filed by the Philippine Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), and the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC).