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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Hontiveros, Gatchalian hail conviction of Alice Guo, cohorts for qualified trafficking

Hontiveros, Gatchalian hail conviction of Alice Guo, cohorts for qualified trafficking

Published Nov 20, 2025 12:50 pm

At A Glance

  • Two senators hailed on Thursday, November 20 a Pasig City court's decision convicting former Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo and her cohorts for qualified trafficking.

Two senators hailed on Thursday, November 20 a Pasig City court’s decision convicting former Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo and her cohorts for qualified trafficking.

“The conviction of Alice Guo and her cohorts for qualified trafficking is a big win for the Filipino people, including foreign nationals who have been victimized by various criminal activities perpetrated by POGOs (Philippine offshore gaming operators),” Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said in a statement.

“The rule of law has prevailed, and justice has been served. Her conviction should serve as a wake-up call against Filipinos or foreign nationals alike who seek to take advantage of the bureaucracy to carry out atrocities such as human trafficking and online scams,” he stressed.

Gatchalian also expressed hope that this victory will further strengthen the newly-enacted law against POGOs and strengthen the campaign.

He also hope that this latest development would strengthen the campaign of the country’s law enforcement agencies to finally hold accountable the remaning POGOs and other types of online scams in the country.

Sen. Risa Hontiveros, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Women and Children, and who led the investigations into the human trafficking schemes of POGOs, rejoiced at the outcome of the court’s decision.

“Today, justice has been served. The conviction of Alice Guo aka Guo Hua Ping is a victory against corruption, human trafficking, cybercrime, and many other transnational crimes. Now they can’t do it again,” Hontiveros said.

She also said the Senate’s investigation delivered unprecedented results: it helped secure a presidential executive order banning POGOs, provided evidence towards a guilty verdict, sending a criminal to prison for life, and contributed in the passage of the Anti-POGO Law of 2025.

“I am proud to consider it one of the most consequential Senate inquiries of my life’s work so far…We thank the victims, witnesses, and whistleblowers who dared to testify in the Senate. Our deepest gratitude to our prosecutors at the DOJ who brought this case to justice,” the senator added.

The senator also commended the country’s law enforcers who never tire of investigating, raiding, and rescuing.

“And as chairperson ng Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality that led this investigation, this makes me feel hopeful about the work we do. But it is far from over,” she said.

“We will continue to demand accountability from every government agency that failed in their duties, and we will continue to investigate the full extent of Chinese intelligence operations in our country,” she added.

“And to all others who enabled Alice Guo’s criminal empire: the Philippines is not a playground for exploitation, infiltration, and espionage. Accountability is coming. Justice always finds a way,” Hontiveros stressed.

On Thursday, the Pasig Regional Trial Court Branch 167 convicted Alice Guo, and her cohorts Jaimielyn Santos Cruz, Rachelle Malonzo Carreon, Walter Wong Rong in the charge of organizing trafficking inside Baofu compound.

The court also found guilty Wang Weili, Wuli Dong, Nong Ding Chang, Lang Xu Po for acts of trafficking.

They were sentenced to life imprisonment and ordered to pay a fine of P2-million each per case on top of monetary reparations to their victim-complainants.

The court also forfeited the Baofu compound in Bamban in favor of the government.

Related Tags

POGO Risa Hontiveros Sherwin Gatchalian Alice Guo human trafficking Bamban
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