Government agencies announced plans to file money laundering charges against former Bamban Mayor Alice Guo, Cassandra Ong, and several POGO firm incorporators.
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), and the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) are jointly pursuing the case, which includes 35 respondents.
A recent investigation revealed that Guo, along with the incorporators of Hongsheng Gaming Technology, Baofu Land Development Inc., and Zun Yuan Technology Inc., allegedly participated in the transfer of funds from questionable sources.
The probe, covering the years 2019 to 2024, examined billions of pesos worth of transactions linked to Guo’s bank accounts and assets.
It also scrutinized the finances of her family members, various POGO companies, and suspected shell corporations connected to these entities.
The NBI noted a connection between Guo’s bank accounts and shell companies suspected of covering utility expenses for POGO operations.
These transactions reportedly occurred after Guo claimed to have divested from her POGO interests.
Guo has been in hiding since accusations surfaced that she is a Chinese national who facilitated POGO operations in Bamban, Tarlac.
She was not present during the recent arrests of Cassandra Ong and Shiela Guo—previously reported as her sister—in Indonesia.
Despite the mounting allegations, Guo’s lawyer denied misleading authorities about her client’s whereabouts, stating, “I trusted her.”
In a related development, Cassandra Ong distanced herself from Guo, stating that she is neither a business partner nor a friend of the former mayor.
