Good conduct may lead to Alice Guo deportation
Alice Guo may still be deported to China if she shows good behavior while doing time in a Philippine jail, a senator said, quoting the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Guo, the dismissed mayor of Bamban, Tarlac, was sentenced to life imprisonment after the Pasig City Regional Trial Court Branch 167 found her guilty of qualified trafficking in connection with her ties to a Philippine offshore gaming operation (Pogo) hub in Bamban.
Earlier in June, a Manila court had established Guo to be a Chinese citizen. Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, citing the DOJ, said Guo could still reduce her sentence since she is eligible for good conduct time allowance.
Crime committed in PH
“Her sentence could be potentially shortened because if she shows good behavior, it may be reduced. That is the only basis on which we can say that she may be deported,” Gatchalian, who defended the DOJ’s proposed budget proposal for 2026, said in response to questions by Sen. Robinhood Padilla.
Since Guo had committed her crime in the Philippines, she must also serve her time in a jail here, Gatchalian stressed.
Following its ruling, the Pasig court ordered Guo’s immediate transfer from the Pasig City Jail to the Correctional Institute for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong City.
Padilla had asked if Guo could still be extradited, considering that Branch 34 of the Manila Regional Trial Court had already ruled that she is “undoubtedly a Chinese citizen.”
Gatchalian noted that many people were asking the same question since Guo’s birth certificate had already been canceled, while her passport had also been revoked.
He also noted that the former mayor had been charged with a crime committed in the Philippines and was, in fact, sentenced to serve a life term for qualified human trafficking.
Padilla then compared Guo’s case to foreigners he met in jail while he was detained for illegal possession of firearms. It will be recalled that Padilla was sentenced in 1994 to eight years in prison but was granted a conditional pardon only after four years by then-President Fidel Ramos.
With the help of their embassies, jailed foreigners are eventually deported to their home countries, Padilla said.
Fully prepared
Meanwhile, the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) on Friday said it is “fully prepared” to accept Guo and other individuals who may be ordered by the court to be transferred to its custody.
BuCor said enhanced security measures are in place at the CIW upon the directive of Director General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. All personnel have also been placed on on-call status since Thursday.
“CIW Corrections Technical Superintendent, Marjorie Ann Sanidad informed Catapang that they already deployed additional Corrections Emergency Response Team to ensure peace and order within the facilities,” BuCor said in a statement.
Upon Guo’s admission to the CIW, she will undergo verification of her documents and belongings before being placed under quarantine for five days at the Reception and Diagnostic Center (RDC), during which she will be subject to a thorough medical examination.
Afterward, she will be transferred to the RDC regular dormitory for mandatory orientation, diagnostics and qualification.
“After completing the 60-day process at the RDC, she will be transferred to her assigned regular dormitory at the maximum security camp, considering that she is sentenced to life imprisonment,” Bucor said.
The two-month assessment period will help determine Guo’s psychological and physical needs, which will guide the CIW in creating an individualized treatment or rehabilitation program for her.
Guo, was found to be Chinese national named Guo Hua Ping and linked to criminal activities involving Pogos and sentenced to life imprisonment for organizing and directing a human trafficking network.
Compensation
In a 111-page decision, the Pasig City Regional Trial Court (RTC) found Guo guilty beyond reasonable doubt of qualified trafficking and ordered her and her coaccused to pay a P2-million fine each and compensate several trafficking victims who filed the complaints.
Also convicted were Jaimielyn Santos Cruz, Rachelle Malonzo Carreon and Walter Wong Rong for organizing trafficking activities inside the Baofu compound, where the raided Zun Yuan Technology Pogo hub was located. —WITH A REPORT FROM LUISA CABATO
