The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) have officially filed a lawsuit with the Department of Justice (DOJ), accusing the dismissed mayor of Banban, Tarlac, Alice Guo (Guo Huaping), of forging three public documents.
The government has initiated land confiscation proceedings because Philippine law prohibits foreigners from purchasing domestic land, and some of Guo's commercial properties have been used for Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) businesses for a long time.
In addition to Guo Huaping, the NBI has also recommended prosecuting 38 individuals, including seven officials from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR). These officials are accused of negligence in regulating the POGO industry, allowing fraud syndicates to operate within the complexes, leading to labor exploitation and forced labor.
NBI spokesperson Ferdinand Lavin pointed out that the core of the case is Alice Guo's purchase of three plots of land under a false identity. Additionally, the NBI has charged 11 PAGCOR officials and employees, including a lawyer, with human trafficking offenses. These individuals are alleged to have interests in the Baofu Compound POGO center in Banban town, which was raided, and are suspected of aiding illegal activities.
Meanwhile, the NBI is collaborating with the Civil Service Commission to bring administrative lawsuits against some PAGCOR employees, involving serious misconduct, fraud, and damage to public interest.
