Alice Guo, cohorts face over 1,000 years jail time if convicted of money laundering — AMLC

Dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo and her alleged cohorts may face from 609 to 1,218 years imprisonment if they would be convicted in the multiple counts of money laundering cases filed against them, an Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) official said Thursday.

Testifying before a Senate hearing, AMLC Investigating and Enforcement Department Deputy Director Adrian Arpon said the cases filed against Guo and the other respondents carry a penalty of seven to 14 years of imprisonment.

"Under the Anti-Money Laundering Act, the commission of money laundering carries with it a penalty of imprisonment...for section 4(a), (b), and (c) from seven years to 14 years," Arpon said during the continuation of the Senate investigation into Guo's alleged escape from the Philippines.

According to Arpon, there are 87 counts of money laundering filed against Guo and other respondents. AMLC, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), and the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) filed the money laundering complaint with the Department of Justice (DOJ) last week.

The cases involved around P7 billion that was allegedly used for the operations of an illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hub that was raided by authorities in Bamban, Tarlac.

Apart from Guo, the other respondents in the complaint are Shiela Guo, the former mayor's purported sister;  Cassandra Li Ong, the authorized representative of another raided POGO hub in Porac, Pampanga; and former Technology and Livelihood Resource Center (TLRC) Deputy Director General Dennis Cunanan, among others.

During Thursday's hearing, Senator Risa Hontiveros, who is leading the Senate investigation, reminded Shiela Guo of the heavy penalty she is facing. Shiela attended the hearing for the second time to testify about her knowledge in Alice's business engagements.

"Kapag na-convict po kayo Miss Shiela, kasama si Guo Hua Ping at 'yung mga 28 pang ibang tao, seven to 14 years ang parusa ng pagkabilanggo per count. May 87 counts po na nakahain. So kahit kuhain natin yung seven years minimum, times 87 eh medyo matagal tagal po 'yon. Medyo lampas na po sa isang lifetime kahit don sa minimum seven years," Hontiveros told Shiela.

(When you're convicted, Miss Shiela, along with Guo Hua Ping and 28 others, the imprisonment sentence is seven to 14 years per count. There are 87 counts filed. So even if we take the minimum seven years, multiplied by 87, that's a very long time. It's actually beyond a lifetime, even with the minimum sentence of seven years.)

"Pag-isipan niyo po sana 'yon Miss Shiela 'yung narinig niyong sagot ng AMLC sa atin," she added.

(I hope you'll consider that, Miss Shiela, the response we received from the AMLC.)

Alice Guo was arrested in Indonesia on Wednesday morning and is expected to be brought back to the Philippines on Thursday evening. She has refused the allegations against her.  —KBK, GMA Integrated News