https://agbrief.com/news/philippines/06/09/2024/alice-guo-back-in-manila-faces-decades-in-prison-if-convicted-of-money-laundering/

Dismissed Bamban ‘POGO Mayor’ Alice Guo is back in Manila and, together with alleged conspirators, could face up to 560 years in prison if convicted of money laundering.

That’s according to the Philippine Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC). On Thursday, AMLC’s lawyer Adrian Arpon explained (during a Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights hearing) that money laundering violations under the Anti-Money Laundering Act carry penalties of seven to 14 years of imprisonment per count.

With 87 counts of money laundering filed against Guo, her sister Shiela Guo, Cassandra Li Ong, and 28 others, Arpon confirmed that a potential sentence could accumulate to over 500 years. These charges stem from their alleged involvement in the operations of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), as revealed by investigations led by the AMLC and the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC).

Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros, who heads the subcommittee handling the case, highlighted the gravity of the potential prison term. Hontiveros remarked, “Even with the minimum penalty of seven years per count, the total comes to around 560 years, well beyond a lifetime.” She urged the accused to seriously consider the implications of the AMLC’s statement.

During the hearing, Hontiveros expressed hope that the investigation would soon reveal the full scope of the criminal operations and expose those who assisted the Guo siblings and Ong in their connection to POGOs. “We’re gradually uncovering the extent of this dismissed mayor’s criminal activities,” she added, noting that further findings could identify individuals who enabled and profited from the scheme.

Cassandra Li Ong, one of the accused, was unable to attend the Senate inquiry due to health issues. A letter from Arturo Felix Catarata, Secretary of the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs, informed the Senate that Ong’s blood sugar and pressure dropped during a House hearing, requiring immediate medical attention. Doctors recommended her confinement, with recovery expected to take two to three days.

Alice Guo herself, meanwhile, arrived back in Manila on Thursday night. Escorted by high-ranking police and local officials, Guo arrived from Jakarta on a private jet that landed at a private hangar at NAIA. Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Norman Tansingco confirmed her successful return to the Philippines.

“Guo touched down at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) around 1:30am on September 6th, aboard a special government flight. This followed a swift operation carried out by Philippine immigration officials in collaboration with Indonesian authorities,” the bureau’s statement read.

The BI immediately acted on the mission order against Guo, who, according to Tansingco, is facing charges of undesirability and misrepresentation under Philippine immigration laws.