AMLC freezes Guo bank accounts, assets

MANILA, Philippines — The Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) has ordered financial institutions and government agencies to freeze the bank accounts and assets of Bamban Mayor Alice Guo as well as those of two other persons for their alleged involvement in illegal Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) firms.

In a statement, the AMLC said the Court of Appeals has approved the council’s petition for the issuance of the order effectively freezing the assets of the persons and entities allegedly involved in human trafficking, money laundering and illicit POGO activities. 

Those identified in the AMLC’s petition are Guo, Zhiyang Huang and Baoying Lin. 

“These individuals are suspected of orchestrating human trafficking and fraudulent activities through entities such as Zun Yuan Technology Inc., BAOFU Land Development Inc. and Hongsheng Gaming Technology Inc.,” the AMLC said. 

The freeze order covers a wide range of assets, including 90 bank accounts across 14 financial institutions, several real properties and high-value personal properties, including as luxury vehicles and a helicopter. 

“This decisive action aims to prevent the dissipation of assets while the investigation and legal proceedings continue,” AMLC said.

No plan to seek reelection 

The camp of Mayor Guo yesterday said that the suspended official has no plan of seeking reelection in the 2025 polls after she was removed from the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC)’s roster amid her alleged links to Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs).

In an interview with ANC, Guo’s legal counsel Stephen David said he personally wants the mayor to run again and let the people of Bamban decide whether to vote for her.

“She was not contemplating (to seek reelection), but for me, if she would ask me, I want her to run as eventually at the end of the day, the people of Bamban will decide whether they want her. We should not preempt the voters of Bamban on what they want,” he said.

Guo won as an independent candidate during the 2022 elections, later joining the NPC, which recently entered into an alliance with President Marcos’ Partido Federal.

Guo is under preventive suspension ordered by the ombudsman due to complaints for graft and qualified human trafficking, linking her to the conspiracy to commit labor trafficking of around 500 foreign POGO workers.

“She is not inclined to run (again) amid the repercussions of being a mayor. Going back, she asked why she entered politics but of course out of her love for her constituents. I told her, let the people decide or speak,” David said.

Meanwhile, David has advised Guo to place herself under Senate custody amid the bullying and death threats against her.

“We talked yesterday and my advice to her is that it is not right to hide from the processes of the law. We should face it. If I were to decide, she is safer while in the custody of the Senate, safe from the bashers and threats,” David said.

David maintained that it is Guo who will decide if she will heed his advice.

He said Guo was suffering from trauma despite her failure to secure a medical certificate that she is unfit to appear before the Senate.

“We don’t have to convince the Senate or the public. What we are saying is up to them to believe. We consulted medical practitioners. Who would not believe that she experienced a traumatic situation amid the cyberbullying against her?” he said.

David added that Guo is not a fugitive despite the decision of the Senate to issue a warrant of arrest against her.

“This is just a warrant to compel her to testify before the honorable Senate investigation,” David noted.

On the other hand, David said that the camp of Guo will question the authenticity of the documents against the suspended mayor after Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said the official was not homeschooled, contradicting her previous testimony.

“As of now, the presumption of innocence is still there. There is a process. It will be the court who will determine if it is true or not,” he said.

During Wednesday’s hearing, Gatchalian presented various school records of Guo or Guo Hua Ping from Grade 1 to Grade 3 at the Grace Christian High School in Quezon City.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) has expressed its readiness to assist the Senate in arresting Guo, who was cited in contempt after snubbing the chamber’s investigation on her alleged links to illegal POGOs.

PNP public information officer Col. Jean Fajardo clarified their assistance is limited to providing security to the Senate sergeant-at-arms who will serve the arrest order against Guo.   –  Bella Cariaso, Emmanuel Tupas