A former Philippines mayor who was accused of spying for China has been discovered responsible of human trafficking for her function in working a rip-off centre.
On Thursday, she and three others had been sentenced to life in jail and a positive of 2m pesos ($33,832; £25,942).
The case of Alice Guo has gripped the Philippines for years, after authorities uncovered one of many nation’s greatest rip-off centres in her small city of Bamban. Some 800 Filipinos and foreigners had been later rescued from the rip-off hub after a raid, with a lot of them saying they had been compelled to run “pig butchering” scams.
The 35-year-old, who was arrested final 12 months after being on the run for weeks, has denied all allegations towards her.
It isn’t but clear if she would possibly attraction.
There are nonetheless 5 ongoing instances towards Guo, together with one the place she has been charged with cash laundering.
In 2022, Guo was elected because the mayor of Bamban, north of the capital Manila. Residents of Bamban earlier advised the BBC she was seen as a caring and empathetic chief.
However in 2024, the sleepy city was thrust into the nationwide highlight after authorities uncovered a sprawling rip-off centre there that was hiding underneath on-line casinos, recognized domestically as Philippine On-line Gaming Operations (Pogo).
Pogos cater to purchasers within the Chinese language mainland, the place playing is against the law.
Guo initially denied all data of the compound, however a senate investigation that adopted questioned her lack of ability to detect the eight hectare centre that was situated close to her workplace.
It later emerged that the compound – which contained 36 buildings – was constructed on land which Guo beforehand owned.
In addition they discovered discrepancies in her life story – she was not, as she had claimed, born within the Philippines, however had migrated from China along with her household as a young person. MPs later discovered that her fingerprints matched these of a Chinese language nationwide named Guo Hua Ping.
She was quickly faraway from workplace. And as extra particulars across the case emerged, she disappeared in July 2024, prompting a global operation throughout 4 nations to carry her again.
In September of the identical 12 months, she was arrested in Indonesia and extradiated to the Philippines. Her Philippine passport was additionally cancelled.
Her case has performed out because the Philippines and China proceed to spar over reefs and outcrops within the South China Sea. Whereas the case was making nationwide headlines within the Philippines, China has remained silent relating to the allegations towards her.
Further reporting by Virma Simonette
