DILG files graft charges against Bamban Mayor Alice Guo

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) filed graft charges against Bamban City Mayor Alice Guo over her reported involvement with a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) in her locality.

According to DILG Undersecretary Juan Victor Llamas, the charges were filed with the Office of the Ombudsman on May 24 and stemmed from the issuance of a permit to Hongsheng Gaming Technology Inc., despite the company failing to complete the requirements and having an expired license from the Philippine  Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR).

A report on GMA’s “24 Oras  Weekend” on Sunday cited Llamas as saying that Guo should have revoked Hongsheng's business permit.

The DILG believed the case could bring about the preventive suspension of Guo, whose nationality was being questioned and connected to POGO  operations.

This comes after authorities raided a 10-hectare area operated by Zun  Yuan Technology Inc. on March 13 and found several devices said to be linked to POGO operations. Over 600 Filipinos and foreigners were rescued during the raid.

The complex was previously raided in 2023 when it was operated by  Hongsheng Technology Inc., which is now being linked to Guo as she applied for the letter of no objection for the complex's license to operate.

Guo was also found to be the incorporator of Baofu Land  Development Inc., which owns the land where the complex — home to over  36 buildings, a swimming pool, and luxury cars — is located.

GMA Integrated News is still trying to seek comment from Guo, though she had previously denied being involved in the POGO hub's operations. And though she had admitted to be a Baofu incorporator, she had divested from the company before running for mayor in 2022.

Last month, the DILG recommended that Guo be preventively suspended following the April 5 creation of a task force that would look into Guo’s alleged links to illegal POGO activities in her town.

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. also earlier said Guo had been the subject of an investigation for some time, as he knew most of the politicians in Tarlac and none of them knew the mayor of Bamban. — Jon Viktor Cabuenas/DVM, GMA Integrated News