Alice Guo could face 560-year sentence

The former mayor faces 87 money laundering charges.

The Philippines.- The Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) has said that Alice Guo, the suspended mayor of Bamban, Tarlac, and her co-accused could face prison sentences totalling 560 years if found guilty of money laundering charges. Advising the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights, lawyer Adrian Arpon noted that the penalty for money laundering under the Anti-Money Laundering Act ranges from seven to 14 years per count for Sections A, B, and C.

The AMLC and the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) have filed 87 counts of money laundering against Guo and 35 others related to alleged involvement in the operation of offshore gaming operators. Those charged include Sheila Guo, Alice Guo’s sister, Cassandra Li Ong, a representative of Lucky South 99, which was raided by authorities in June, and officials of QSeed Genetics, Zun Yuan Technology, Hongshen Gaming Technology, QJJ Farms and Baofu Land Development.

It’s alleged that they carried out transactions involving money or money instruments representing the proceeds of unlawful activities such as human trafficking, securities regulation violation and swindling.

Alice Guo was arrested in Tangerang City, Jakarta, after several weeks of intensive search by authorities. Guo was able to leave the Philippines on July 17. She travelled to Malaysia, arrived in Singapore on July 21 and Indonesia on August 18.