Human trafficking raps filed vs. Alice Guo

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a qualified human trafficking case against dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo and several others.

Guo and others were charged with violation of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003, as amended by the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2012 and the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2022.

The DOJ said it filed the case at the Pasig regional trial court (RTC) on Tuesday afternoon.

Also charged were Huang Zhiyang, whom the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) had identified as the so-called boss of all bosses of illegal POGOs, Zhang Ruijin, and Lin Baoying, among others.

Last week, Justice Undersecretary Nicky Ty said that under the law, individuals who organize an establishment engaged in human trafficking may be held accountable for human trafficking.

"Basta mapakita na may kinalaman ka sa pagtayo o pag-organize ng isang kumpanya na nadawit sa human trafficking, maaari kang makasuhan ng human trafficking," he had said.

(As long as it is shown that you have a connection to the establishment or organization of a company involved in human trafficking, you can be charged with human trafficking.)

The complaint, filed by the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission and the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in June, was submitted for resolution on August 6.

Guo later admitted to signing the last page of her counter-affidavit on the complaint before she left the Philippines in July. 

Transfer

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court (SC) has granted the request of Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla to transfer POGO-related cases to Pasig City from Capas, Tarlac.

In a 7-page notice, the SC directed judges in Capas, Tarlac and other stations in Luzon to order the transmittal of records of future cases involving POGOs and other related cases of similar concern to the Office of the Clerk of Courts (OCC), RTC in Pasig or the OCC Metropolitan Trial Court in Pasig.

The SC said Remulla anchored his request on national interest, public confidence, and the preservation of the integrity of judicial proceedings.

It said the Justice secretary averred that the likelihood of local biases potentially affecting the impartiality and fairness of the trials warrants a change of venue.

“The foregoing grounds relied upon by Secretary Remulla are compelling reasons to justify the transfer of venue of the subject cases and all other future related cases related thereto,” it said.

Read: Timeline: The plots and twists of the 'Alice Guo' probe

In an ambush interview on Tuesday, Ty said that the order would cover the cases that will be filed against Guo.

“Napalipat na ng Supreme Court sa Pasig lahat ng mga cases [ni Alice Guo], hindi lang yung trafficking. Ang basa namin doon sa order galing sa Supreme Court ay lahat ng mga kaso ukol dito sa Bamban,” Ty said.

(The SC has ordered the transfer of all Alice Guo’s cases, not only the trafficking one. We interpreted the order as covering all her cases regarding Bamban.)

“So mukhang yung money laundering natin sa Pasig din at yung mga susunod pang mga kaso,” he added.

(So it seems that we will also file the money laundering case against her in Pasig as well as other future cases.)

Guo is also facing a graft case before a Valenzuela court and a money laundering complaint before the DOJ.

—VAL, GMA Integrated News