Pasig court orders Alice Guo transfer to city jail

The Pasig Regional Trial Court (RTC) has ordered the transfer of dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo to Pasig City from Camp Crame to a city jail in connection with her qualified trafficking case.

In a four-page order, the Pasig RTC Branch 167 directed the transfer of Guo from the Philippine National Police (PNP) Custodial Center to the Pasig City Jail Female Dormitory.

“[T]he Court finds probable cause to hold accused Alice Leal Guo a.k.a 'Guo Hua Ping...' for trial for the crime/s charged against them,” the court said.

“All the accused in these cases are not entitled to post bail as the charges against them are all non-bailable,” it later added.

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.

Among Guo's co-accused were Huang Zhiyang, whom the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission had identified as the "boss of all bosses" of illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs); and Zhang Ruijin.

In Sandra Aguinaldo’s report on "24 Oras," the Pasig jail has already prepared a space for Guo on the 4th floor of the female dormitory alongside over 40 other detainees, although it should only have a designed capacity for nine inmates. 

Also detained in the female dormitory are the three other co-accused of controversial televangelist Apollo Quiboloy. 

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Pasig female dormitory where Alice Guo is expected to be detained. (Photo by Sandra Aguinaldo)

The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology assured that Guo will not be given special treatment.

The RTC also ordered the transfer of Walter Wong Long to the Pasig City Jail Dormitory from the Tarlac Provincial Jail.

According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), Long is a Malaysian national who was nabbed at the Bamban POGO hub earlier this year. 

Meanwhile, the RTC issued an arrest warrant against Huang Zhiyang, Zhang Rujin, Lin Baoying, and former Technology and Livelihood Resource Center (TLRC) deputy director general Dennis Cunanan.

“To the remaining co-accused still playing hide-and-seek with authorities, immediately surrender without hesitation or asking any condition, the law will definitely catch up with you,” Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said in a statement.

When sought for comment, Atty. Stephen David, Guo’s legal counsel, said jurisdiction will have to be discussed by the two courts.

“Siguro they have to discuss that between the two kasi co-equal sila eh… judicial courtesy. Sila mag re-resolve niyan hindi ang abugado,” David said in an ambush interview.

(The two courts will have to discuss that because they are co-equal… [that’s] judicial courtesy. They have to resolve it, not the lawyers.)

When asked about a preferred detention facility for Guo, David said he believes it would be more reasonable for her to remain at Camp Crame considering her "high-risk situation."

“Considering yung high-risk situation niya, yung high-risk personality. Doon naman kasi sa PNP, doon talaga nilalagay yung mga high-risk na PDL (persons deprived of liberty),” he said.

(Considering that she is in a high-risk situation, a high-risk personality. All high-risk PDLs are placed in the PNP.)

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

She is being investigated by both the Senate and the House of Representatives over her alleged links to the raided POGO hub in Bamban as well as her citizenship. —KBK/VBL/RF, GMA Integrated News