Guo’s money laundering charges boost campaign vs POGOs – lawmaker

MANILA, Philippines — Dismissed Bamban mayor Alice Guo’s 62 new counts of money laundering charges are a major boost to dismantling Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs), Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said yesterday.

Gatchalian, who is pushing the Senate leadership to pass the proposal that will permanently ban POGOs before the 19th Congress ends, said he expects the development to “severely disrupt” the illegal bankrolling of POGOs.

“The filing of 62 counts of money laundering cases against Alice Guo boosts our campaign to rid the country of POGOs and their illegal activities. We expect this development to severely disrupt the illegal flow of dirty money that fuels their operations and to cripple their financial machinery,” Gatchalian said.

The Department of Justice last week filed charges for 62 counts of money laundering against Guo before the Capas Regional Trial Court (RTC) in connection with the alleged illegal activities of a POGO in Bamban.

Guo, a suspected Chinese spy, is set to testify on May 28 in the qualified trafficking case pending before Pasig RTC Branch 167.