In a move to help reduce her legal liability, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Tuesday urged suspended Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Leal Guo, also identified as Guo Hua Ping, to unveil the “kingpins” behind the country’s illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).
“Now that her true identity is clear, she can face several charges due to lying, so it is better for her to speak the truth,” said Gatchalian.
Guo, alongside several associates, has been charged with non-bailable qualified human trafficking by the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC).
The Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) is also considering a quo warranto action against her, following the National Bureau of Investigation’s (NBI) discovery that Alice Guo’s fingerprints match those of Chinese national Guo Hua Ping.
The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) is weighing the possibility of filing an election offense against her.
Gatchalian emphasized that if Guo divulges all she knows about the operations of the interconnected Bamban and Porac POGOs, it could lessen her culpability.
Given her ties to these POGO hubs, she is uniquely positioned to illuminate the individuals and operations fueling criminal activities, according to the senator.
“Her testimony is expected to significantly aid law enforcement and regulatory bodies in their efforts to dismantle these illegal operations and bring those responsible to justice,” Gatchalian said in a statement.
He called the mayor to cooperate fully with authorities, disclosing key information on the illegal activities and major players within the POGO industry, now referred to as Internet Gaming Licensees (IGLs).
“I urge Alice Guo to come forward and cooperate with authorities and expose the main players of illegal and criminal offshore gaming operations,” Gatchalian said.
The POGO industry has come under heavy scrutiny for its connections to various illegal activities, including money laundering, human and sex trafficking, tax evasion, and online scams.
Gatchalian and Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros, who chairs the Senate committee on women, children, family relations, and gender equality, are spearheading the Senate investigation into these unlawful POGO operations.