QUEZON CITY — The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Saturday emphasized that dismissed Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo is currently ineligible to serve as a state witness in the ongoing investigation into illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO).
According to the Philippines News Agency, Assistant Secretary Mico Clavano confirmed the department’s stance, originally stated by DOJ Secretary Crispin Remulla, that Guo is considered "the most guilty" in the case and therefore unreliable as a state witness. Clavano noted, "If for example we find a bigger person involved in this investigation, former mayor Alice Guo will no longer be the most guilty," indicating a potential shift if further developments arise. He elaborated that Guo's qualification as a state witness hinges on her willingness to name more significant individuals connected to the investigation.
Guo faces multiple legal challenges, including trafficking in persons, money laundering, and graft. She is also implicated in a tax evasion case filed by the Bureau of Internal Revenue for allegedly failing to pay PHP500,000 in capital gains and documentary stamp taxes linked to her real estate transactions. Furthermore, the Court of Appeals has issued a freeze order on her assets and those of her business partners.
The former mayor, who had left the Philippines and traveled through Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia, was apprehended in Jakarta on September 3. Philippine officials retrieved her on September 5, and she was returned to the country on a private plane shortly after midnight on September 6. She is now detained at the Philippine National Police custodial center in Camp Crame, Quezon City. A graft case has been filed against her in Tarlac, and she is expected to participate in a Senate investigation on POGOs scheduled for Monday.
Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos, speaking at the same forum, called for a review of travel protocols following Guo's flight from the country. He expressed particular interest in enhancing security measures for travel by air and sea to prevent similar incidents.