According to reports from multiple Philippine media outlets on August 18, despite Alice Guo's camp having had the opportunity to file a counterclaim but not doing so, the Philippine Department of Justice will still carefully review Mayor Guo's request to dismiss the human trafficking case against her.
The reports stated that the Department of Justice had previously indicated that the National Bureau of Investigation would lead the investigation to verify whether Mayor Guo appeared before a notary.
Deputy Minister of Justice Raul Vasquez stated, "In the past, filing a counterclaim had to be done in front of a prosecutor. Now, according to the new preliminary investigation rules, it can be done in front of a prosecutor, any authorized person to administer an oath, or any notary. However, they must explain why they chose this option."
When asked if the notary would be summoned, Vasquez said: "We shall see."
In her counterclaim, Guo insisted that documents such as electricity bills are insufficient to prove her involvement in human trafficking.
She argued that the electricity bill does not indicate who actually was in the property and used the electricity for illegal activities.
Mayor Guo also claimed that her being a shareholder in Baofu Real Estate does not necessarily mean she was involved in its operations.
It is reported that Alice Guo is accused of having connections with a criminal group suspected of money laundering, online fraud, human trafficking, and illegal detention. The Philippine Senate summoned her twice to participate in investigative hearings, but Alice Guo did not attend either. On July 12, the Senate issued an arrest warrant for her and her family. Previously, Guo's lawyer stated that due to "massive online bullying and humiliation, the mayor's mental and physical health were affected," hence she did not attend the hearing on July 10.
The investigation into Alice Guo originated from a raid conducted by the Philippine President's Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) on a casino in Banban City in March this year. During that operation, PAOCC discovered that the casino was actually an online fraud park, suspected of human trafficking and illegal detention. The BBC reported that of the nearly 700 employees rescued at the time, more than 200 were Chinese.
PAOCC's investigation found that the then-mayor of Banban City, Alice Guo, owned nearly half of the land in the park, and the fraud center was located behind her office. However, Guo insisted that she had only rented out the property as equity to Baofu Real Estate and had withdrawn her investment before running for mayor in 2022, not involving in human trafficking or fraud.
