Mark Geoffrey Marmol

Dismissed Bamban, Tarlac City Mayor Alice Guo on Sept. 27 has claimed herself not guilty after being accused by the Department of Justice (DOJ) of qualified human trafficking on September 17, according to her legal counsel Nicole Jamilla.

Photo Courtesy of AFP/Al Jazeera.

Guo made the plea during her arraignment at the Pasig City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 167, where she attended via video conference.

“We pleaded not guilty; ma’am pleaded not guilty to the crime alleged,” Jamilla said in an ambush interview at the Pasig City RTC.

Guo’s co-accused, Walter Wong Long’s arraignment was suspended after his camp filed a motion to suspend the proceeding, arguing that he is not included in the preliminary investigation.

Guo was also charged with a graft case before a Valenzuela court and two criminal investigations in tax evasion and money laundering.

She bailed from the graft case in the Valenzuela City RTC on Sept. 20 but was not released by the authorities due to the charge by the DOJ.

On Sept. 23, the Philippine National Police (PNP) transferred Guo to the Pasig City Jail Female Dormitory after staying two weeks in the PNP Custodial Center in Camp Crame, Quezon City.

All current and future Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) related cases were also transferred to Pasig City by the DOJ through the authorization of the Supreme Court (SC).

The charges for Guo began with her alleged links to illegal activities of the POGO in her town in Bamban, Tarlac.

Guo left the Philippines on July 18 during the probe for her charges with the POGO.

She was then arrested on Sept. 4 in Indonesia by the Indonesian authorities, according to the Bureau of Immigration (BI).