Alice Guo, the suspended mayor of Bamban in the Philippines, failed again to appear at an senate meeting on crime related to offshore gaming. The controversial POGO gaming industry was abolished by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday.
Alice Guo, the suspended mayor of Bamban in Philippines, has accomplished what many lawmakers have failed to do in years: shutting down Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations.
Senators have called for an offshore gambling ban since 2022. The industry has been tainted with reports of criminal activities.
After hearing disturbing reports about the mayor of a small town’s involvement in illicit activities, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called on Monday for an immediate prohibition of the sector.
“Grave Abuse and Disrespect”
Marcos said in his third State of the Nation Address on 22 July: “Effective immediately, all POGOs will be banned.” The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, (Pagcor), is hereby instructed to cease operations and wind down all POGOs before the end of this year.
Marcos claimed that the gaming industry was established under Rodrigo Duterte in 2016, and has since “enterprised into illegal areas farthest away from gambling, such as money laundering, financial scammings, prostitution human trafficking kidnapping brutal torture even murder.”
The abuse of and disrespect for our system has to stop.
Bamban raid
After the raid on the Bamban facility, where Guo had been elected as mayor in 2022, the clamor for the abolishment of POGOs increased in March. The pressure on this sector dates back to 2019 when legislators put a stop to new POGO licenses. Duterte, however, refused to bow down to Chinese demand for a prohibition that year.
Like in previous POGO raids hundreds of employees at the POGO site alleged that they were victims of physical and human abuse. The investigators discovered Guo owned a portion of the property where the facility is located. She also held bank accounts in which money purportedly from China was used to fund the operation.
The investigation revealed that Guo was actually Guo Hua Ping, a Chinese citizen. Authorities issued an arrest warrant after she did not appear for the hearings on human trafficking.
A National Security Issue
Guo, who has refused to attend court in person to prove her innocence, has used social media.
She wrote in a post on Facebook shared by Stephen David, her lawyer that these charges were baseless. She said that there are “many critical issues”, including unemployment and poverty, in the Philippines and urged lawmakers to concentrate on these problems instead of “constantly threatening me with an arrest” and accusing her of complicity in various Philippine offshore gambling operations-related criminal acts.
Guo appeared to imply that those who call for her arrest were just a bunch of egomaniacs. She asked, “Am I the biggest problem for this country?” Or is it because they are trying to gain popularity by ignoring me?
We are allergic to lying
Senator Rita Hontiveros replied by addressing “Alice Guo” or Guo Hua Ping.
The senator said, “Attending the Senate hearings means you are adhering to the law.” He added, “Don’t worry. We aren’t fixated on your case. “We are allergic to lying.”
Ian Vincent Manticajon, an attorney, wrote in a Philippine Star opinion article that Guo was “the Philippines biggest problem”. It is a “problem of corruption and betrayal”, where public officials “willingly sell their country for foreigners at the right price”.
He wrote that Alice Guo’s situation exemplified this problem, where it appeared identity and citizenship could be purchased, undermining our very national integrity.
Trojan Horse Strategy
In the Philippines, some lawmakers are concerned that China is using POGOs as a Trojan horse to undermine national security.
Gilberto Teodoro, the defence secretary, has stated that Beijing is supporting POGOs in order to undercut “our social, political and economic fabric, as well as our peace and security.” It is the most efficient way to weaken your enemy by causing trouble in their country.
The chief of the armed forces, General Romeo Brawner Jr. agreed that “strategic location of POGOs”, near Manila’s capital and military bases created “a perimeter of espionage”.
Alice Guo is still missing. Some reports claim that she fled using a Chinese national passport.
