Dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo and several of her supposed co-conspirators may face 609 to 1,218 years of jail time should they be proven guilty of money laundering, an official from Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) official said on Thursday, Sept. 5.
During the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights hearing, AMLC Investigating and Enforcement Department Deputy Director Adrian Arpon stated that under the Anti-Money Laundering Act, the commission of money laundering carries with it the penalty of imprisonment.
AMLC, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), and the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) filed charges against Guo and 35 others including Sheila Guo and Katherine Cassandra “Cassy” Li Ong, with the Department of Justice (DOJ).
AMLC said its investigation, with NBI and PAOCC, showed that from June 2020 to January this year, Guo and her “co-conspirators” accumulated over P101 million from activities found to be criminal in nature. These co-conspirators who are also facing money laundering charges include Jian Zhong Guo, Lin Wenyi, Seimen Guo and others connected to BAOFU Land Development Inc., Hongsheng Gaming Technology Inc., and Zun Yuan Technology Inc.
"For section 4(a), (b), and (c)...from 7 years to 14 years, your honor," he said.
According to Arpon, this is for each count and these agencies have already filed 87 counts of money laundering against them.
Having learned of this, Senator Risa Hontiveros reminded Shiela Guo during the hearing of the severe punishment that they may face should they be convicted of money laundering, prompting her to tell the truth.
"Kapag naconvict po kayo Ms. Shiela, kasama si Guo Hua Ping at yung mga 28 pang ibang tao, 7 to 14 years ang parusa ng pagkabilanggo per count. May 87 counts po na nakahain. So kahit kuhain natin yung seven years minimum times 87 eh medyo matagal-tagal po 'yon (If you get convicted Ms. Sheila, together with Guo Hua Ping and 28 others, the punishment is 7 to 14 years imprisonment per count. There's 87 counts filed. Even if we use the minimum of 7 years multiplied by 87, that's still a long time)," Hontiveros said.
"Medyo lampas na po sa isang lifetime kahit doon sa minimum 7 years, kahit sa isang count lamang pag isipan niyo po sana 'yon Ms. Shiela yung narinig niyong sagot ng AMLC sa atin (That exceeds a single lifetime even for the minimum of 7 years per count so Ms. Sheila, put in mind what AMLC told us)," she added.
Shiela and Alice’s business partner, Cassandra Li Ong, were eventually arrested by Indonesian authorities in Batam, Indonesia. A few days later, on September 4, Alice was arrested in Jakarta, Indonesia.