Margie Markland

Fugitive ex-Bamban Mayor Alice Guo and 35 others tagged at illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) operations will face complaints for 87 counts of money laundering filed by the  Department of Justice (DOJ).

Photo Courtesy of ABS-CBN News/Philippine STAR.

The Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), along with the National Bureau of Investigation and Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission, jointly filed the charges on August 30.

“These individuals are alleged to have been involved in a complex scheme of money laundering linked to the crimes of estafa, qualified trafficking in persons, and violations of the Securities Regulation Code,” the AMLC quoted in a press release.

Guo and her co-conspirators were alleged to have laundered more than P100 million in proceeds from criminal activities, the council said.

The council also sought to forfeit around P7 billion worth of assets, including real estate properties, luxury vehicles, and a helicopter that Guo and her associates accumulated through alleged illegal activities in Bamban, Tarlac and Porac, Pampanga.

Among those charged for violation of Republic Act 9160, or the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2001, were Cassandra Ong and Alice's supposed sibling, Shiela, as well as officials of QSeed Genetics, Zun Yuan Technology Inc., Hongshen Gaming Technology Inc., QJJ Farms, and Baofu Land Development Inc.

In the 105-page complaint, the agencies alleged that the respondents collaborated in committing various crimes and other illegal activities and each of them played a significant role in the illegal POGO operations.

It also said the businesses under Guo’s name aimed to hide the true nature of their operations and make it appear that they engaged in legitimate activities.

“Alice Guo and her cohorts intended to create layers and layers of corporations to make it appear that they were engaged in profitable and legitimate businesses, but in fact, they are not,” the complaint read.

Guo has been  hiding since she was accused and later confirmed of being a Chinese citizen who facilitated illegal POGO operations in Bamban, Tarlac. 

She was not with Ong and Shiela Guo, who was earlier reported as the former mayor’s sister, when the pair were arrested in Indonesia last week.