Dismissed Bamban Mayor convicted for POGO-linked human trafficking

A Pasig court on Thursday convicted dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Guo Hua Ping, also known as Alice Leal Guo, sentencing her and three others, to life imprisonment and a fine ofP2 million for qualified trafficking.

The promulgation of the decision was held this morning at Pasig RTC Branch 167, with the accused attending the proceedings via video conference.

The court convicted Ms. Guo and co-accused Jaimielyn Santos Cruz, Rachelle Malonzo Carreon, and Walter Wong Rong on the charge of organizing trafficking inside the Baofu compound, Marvin Dela Paz, Communications Chief and spokesperson for the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), told reporters in a Viber group chat.

“All guilty individuals are sentenced to life imprisonment and a fine of Php 2 million each per case, in addition to monetary reparations to their victim-complainants. The Baofu compound is also forfeited in favor of the government,” Mr. Dela Paz added.

The multi-billion-peso Baofu Land Development Compound in Bamban, Tarlac, which allegedly harbored victims and facilitated recruitment for POGO-related scams, was also ordered forfeited in favor of the Philippine government. – Erika Mae P. Sinaking