A Philippine trial court has handed down a life imprisonment sentence to a former mayor, Alice Guo, following her conviction for human trafficking. The government’s anti-crime agency announced the ruling on Thursday, stating the court found Guo guilty of having connections to Chinese criminal syndicates. This major legal decision follows a period of intense scrutiny over her background and activities in the town of Bamban, north of Manila, where she had served as mayor.
Guo, who ran for the mayoral post claiming to be a Filipino citizen, was later identified by law enforcement as Guo Hua Ping, a Chinese national. The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) lauded the ruling, emphasizing that it represents both a legal and moral victory. The commission stressed that the judgment serves to deliver justice to the victims and reinforces the government’s firm, united front against organized crime operating within the country.
While Guo’s lawyer made no immediate public comment on the verdict, Guo has consistently denied any links to criminals throughout the investigation. She has also steadfastly maintained her claim of being a natural-born Philippine citizen, an assertion which was contradicted by the subsequent law enforcement identification. Her initial election and subsequent legal battle have captured significant public and political attention.
The legal proceedings were heavily influenced by a congressional investigation launched by the Philippine Senate in May of last year. This probe began just two months after a police raid uncovered a scam cyber center operating from a facility constructed on land partially owned by Guo. This center was cited as one of the many such fraudulent operations that have proliferated across Southeast Asia in recent years, often involving illicit activities and exploitation.
The raid on the facility proved crucial to the case, as it resulted in the discovery of hundreds of trafficked workers, many of whom were foreign nationals. This discovery prompted the PAOCC to file a human trafficking complaint against Guo. In addition to the former mayor, the court also convicted and sentenced seven other individuals involved in the trafficking operation to life imprisonment, and ordered the entire facility to be forfeited to the government.
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