Danniell Domingo

The Senate’s probe into the illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) has concluded, paving the way for legislative reforms aimed at preventing future abuses in the government systems, Senator Risa Hontiveros addressed.

Photo Courtesy of Manila Standard.

During the Nov. 26 hearing of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality on POGOs, Hontiveros emphasized the need for reform and left the fate of Alice Guo, also known as Guo Hua Ping, to the Philippine courts to face criminal charges. 

“This may be the end of our hearings on POGO but this is only the beginning of the legislative reforms that we will strive to push to ensure that every Filipino, to every Filipino, that there will never be another Alice Guo,” Hontiveros said. 

After 16 hearings, Hontiveros presented evidence implicating Alice Guo, described as a “Chinese national mocking our Filipino identity” accused of crimes that exploited many Filipinos.

The senator also revealed a web of 22 personalities who were allegedly linked to Guo, who reportedly used POGO at the expense of the Filipino people.

"It further deepens what we already know: Michael Yang is a key actor in Chinese intelligence operations here. Michael Yang na sangkot sa Pharmally, and if the reports are accurate, sa drug operations dito," Hontiveros said.

Furthermore, Hontiveros stressed that the hearings were done to examine the country’s system of laws and policies, as the government allowed these systemic abuses to happen.

“Inabuso ang ating birth certificate registration, immigration procedures, passport at visa applications, pagtayo ng negosyo sa pagalan ng kumpanya, bank secrecy, at pati ang pribilehiyong lumahok sa eleksyon at maging kawani ng gobyerno,” she said.

For Hontiveros, the hearings’ main objective was not to prove people guilty of being linked to illegal POGO activities. 

“Despite the many heinous crimes unearthed by this committee, including large-scale scamming, corruption, kidnapping, torture, prostitution, and human trafficking, our objective has never been to prove any single individual guilty,” she said. 

Guo and five other personalities failed to attend the 16th hearing after the Pasig Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 167 denied the Senate’s request.

The court cited a scheduling conflict, as Guo and the others were set to appear in separate court at 8:30 a.m., while the Senate hearing was scheduled for 9:00 a.m.

Guo and the others are currently facing multiple charges, including graft, qualified human trafficking, money laundering, and tax evasion, in the Pasig RTC.