Alice Guo, the dismissed mayor of Bamban, is now at the center of a huge legal case. The Department of Justice has filed 62 counts of money laundering against her. These charges are tied to the illegal operations of a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) in her town.
Money laundering is the process of hiding money earned from illegal activities to make it look clean. In Guo’s case, officials believe she helped move and hide large amounts of money that came from suspicious sources, especially related to the POGO found in Bamban. Each of the 62 charges relates to different financial transactions that investigators say were used to cover up illegal earnings.
Earlier this year, authorities raided the POGO facility in Bamban. They discovered foreign workers, cash, bank records, and documents suggesting large financial activities with unclear origins. These findings led to investigations not only for money laundering but also for possible human trafficking and other crimes. Guo, who was already removed from her post as mayor, is also expected to testify in a qualified trafficking case at the Pasig Regional Trial Court.
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Senator Gatchalian Sees Turning Point
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, a strong critic of POGOs, called the filing of charges against Guo a “major boost” in the fight to rid the country of these operations. According to him, POGOs are not just illegal businesses but are often linked to other serious crimes like human trafficking, fraud, and even espionage.
Gatchalian said that with Guo facing these money laundering charges, the illegal financial support behind POGOs will likely be disrupted. He added that POGOs rely on complex financial systems to keep running, and taking down those systems can be a powerful way to stop their operations.
The senator has long pushed for a total ban on POGOs. He argues that they bring more harm than good to the country. From scamming locals to allegedly being linked to foreign influence and spying, Gatchalian sees them as a growing national threat. The recent charges, he says, help build the case for their complete removal.
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Government Action Targets Illegal Cash Flow
The 62 charges were formally filed in the Capas Regional Trial Court, not far from where the illegal POGO was located. Officials believe Guo played a direct role in allowing the facility to operate and in moving money that was earned from its activities.
Each charge points to a separate money-related transaction that may have been used to clean or hide profits from the illegal gaming site. Investigators say the total value involved is significant and that many of the transactions were hidden under the names of shell companies or fake business records.
Government agencies, including the Anti-Money Laundering Council and the Department of Justice, are now working closely to trace where the money came from and who else might be involved. The goal is to uncover the full network behind the operation—not just the visible businesses, but also the people who fund and protect them.
The raid that led to these charges also uncovered people who were possibly held against their will and forced to work in the POGO compound. This discovery prompted the human trafficking case, in which Alice Guo is expected to testify on May 28 at the Pasig RTC Branch 167.
This case has now become one of the biggest government actions against POGOs so far. It shines a spotlight on how deeply these operations can go—from illegal money to alleged spying—and how urgent the crackdown has become.
