A Philippine court has sentenced former Bamban mayor Alice Guo to life imprisonment after finding her guilty of human trafficking linked to an illicit online scam hub operating in her town, the Presidential Anti-Organised Crime Commission (PAOCC) said on Thursday.
The conviction marks one of the country’s most closely watched criminal cases in recent years, following months of scrutiny over Guo’s alleged ties to Chinese crime networks and questions surrounding her true identity. She ran for office as a Filipino citizen but was later identified by authorities as Chinese national Guo Hua Ping.
In its statement, PAOCC called the ruling “a legal victory and a moral one,” saying it delivered justice to victims and reaffirmed the government’s stand against organised criminal activity.
Guo came under national spotlight in May last year after a police raid exposed a large scam operation inside a facility partly built on land she owned. Officers found hundreds of trafficked workers, including foreign nationals, according to complaints later filed by PAOCC.
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The agency said seven other individuals were convicted alongside Guo and also received life sentences. The court ordered the seizure of the property used for the trafficking activities.
Guo’s legal team has not issued a comment. She has repeatedly denied any criminal links and insists she is a natural-born Filipino.
The Philippine Senate launched a probe into her background following the raid and later held her in contempt when she refused to attend its hearings. She left the country during the inquiry but was arrested in Indonesia in September 2024, then deported back to Manila.
Guo was removed from office in August 2024 by the Ombudsman for grave misconduct. She still faces additional charges, including graft and money laundering, according to public records and reporting by Reuters and the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
Her case fuelled broader unease about the rise of online scam centres and Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators, many of which were run by Chinese groups targeting clients in China. These operations grew rapidly during the administration of former president Rodrigo Duterte before being banned under President Ferdinand Marcos.
Lawmakers say Guo’s conviction strengthens calls for tighter oversight of foreign-linked commercial activities, especially those operating near sensitive economic zones.
Authorities are expected to move ahead with separate cases against Guo as investigations into related networks continue.