Dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo and other PDLs at the Senate of the Philippines on October 8, 2024. —Noy Morcoso/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — State prosecutors have recommended the filing of money laundering charges on 62 counts against dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo in connection with the operations of businesses owned by her family, which funded the purchase of parcels of land that later became the site for a Philippine offshore gaming operator (Pogo) hub, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said on Wednesday.

In a 49-page resolution, government lawyers said that at least five companies were involved in the “grand money laundering activities,” including QJJ Farm Inc., QSeed Genetics Inc., real estate company Baofu Land Development Inc. and Pogo hub Hongsheng Gaming Technology Inc., later renamed as Zun Yuan Technology Inc.

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Using the funds from the family-owned QJJ Farm and QSeed Genetics, the prosecutors said Guo bought parcels of land in Bamban and “caused their conversion” into commercial properties, where Baofu was established and the Pogo hubs operated, allegedly for “purposes of human trafficking and money laundering.”

Guo, who is currently detained at the Pasig City Jail over a human trafficking case, faces 62 counts of money laundering, 26 of these under Section 4(a) of the Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA), which pertains to the transaction of monetary instruments that are proceeds from illegal activities.

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Five other counts are under Section 4(b), which criminalizes the conversion, transfer, disposition or movement of such illicit proceeds to conceal or disguise their origin.

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The remaining 31 other counts are for violations of Section 4(d) of the AMLA, which involves failure to report transactions related to illegal funds or engaging in activities that facilitate money laundering.

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“Even after her purported divestment of shares following her assumption as chief executive of Bamban, Tarlac, her continuous participation and role as a beneficial partner of Baofu cannot be concealed,” the prosecutors said.

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Acting in conspiracy

Baofu, a real estate company owned by Guo, leased land to the Pogo hub initially called Hongsheng Gaming Technology, before it was renamed Zun Yuan Technology.

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State prosecutors also recommended that 30 other individuals, including Guo’s parents and two siblings as well as incorporators and officers of the companies involved, be charged with 31 counts of money laundering “for acting in conspiracy with each other to commit money laundering.”

On the other hand, the money laundering charges against lawyer Jason Masuerte, Nancy Gamo and Lucky South 99 representative Cassandra Ong were dismissed for lack of evidence and reasonable certainty of conviction.

Assistant Justice Secretary Dominic Clavano told reporters that the DOJ had authorized the panel of prosecutors to file the criminal cases before the Manila Regional Trial Court.

The charges against Guo and company were filed in August by the National Bureau of Investigation, the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission and the Anti-Money Laundering Council. They were accused of 87 counts of money laundering involving about P7 billion over nearly five years.

Shell corporations

The state prosecutors said that Hongsheng and Zun Yuan were allegedly established as shell corporations to provide cover for illicit activities, such as illegal gaming and cryptocurrency investment scams without appropriate licenses.

Authorities raided the 10-hectare compound of Zun Yuan in March 2024, leading to the rescue of over 400 foreign workers. The operation became the basis for the human trafficking raps filed against Guo and her coaccused.

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The prosecutors cited the incorporation of multiple companies (Baofukubiwin, Hongsheng and Zun Yuan) with interlocking corporate directorates and shared resources, which created the appearance of legitimate corporate activities.

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