THE Department of Justice yesterday said that several counts of money laundering cases are set to be filed against dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo and 30 others based on the recommendation of a panel of prosecutors.
In a chance interview, DOJ spokesman Mico Clavano said a total of 62 counts of money laundering cases will be filed against Guo and others in connection with the Guo family’s businesses which were apparently used as fronts in the operations of the illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) hub in Bamban town that was raided by the police last year.
“The panel of prosecutors found that ‘yung mga illegal activities po na nahanap po natin nung ni-raid nating ‘yung businesses nila ay ‘yun po ‘yung proceeds na tinutukoy or subject nating complaint na ito (The panel of prosecutors found that the proceeds of their illegal activities which were discovered during the past raids of their businesses were the basis for filing the cases),” Clavano said, adding the amount involved “billions” of pesos.
He said the prosecutors recommended the filing of 26 counts of money laundering under Section 4 (a) and five counts of money laundering under Section 4 (b) of the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2001 against Guo, whose Chinese name is Guo Hua Ping.
Section 4 (a) pertains to the transaction of monetary instruments that were illegal proceeds of unlawful activity while Section 4 (b) refers to the conversion, transfer, disposition, or movement of monetary instruments that were found to be proceeds of unlawful activities.
He said the complaint for money laundering under Section 4 (c) or concealment or disguise of the true nature of the source of funds against Alice Guo was recommended to be dismissed.
The panel also recommended the filing of 31 counts of violation of Section 4 (d) against Guo, her supposed father Jian Zhong Guo; her alleged mother Lin Wenyi; and siblings Sheila Guo, and Seimen Guo for conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Included in the cases were Huang Zhiyang, the alleged “boss of all bosses” of the POGO industry; Dennis Cunanan, a former Technology and Livelihood Resource Center official, and several individuals linked to the illegal POGO hub in Bamban town.
Clavano said the cases will be filed before the Manila Regional Trial Court.
“We already gave the authority to the panel of prosecutors to file the corresponding information subject of the resolution. I don’t have the exact date but we can expect as soon as possible the cases will be filed in court,” he said in a mix of Filipino and English.
He said the prosecutors junked the money laundering case under Section 4 (c) for lack of sufficient evidence and reasonable certainty of conviction, while the complaint under Section 4 (e) against Cassandra Li Ong, authorized representative of the Porac POGO hub; lawyer Jason Masuerte, and Nancy Gamo were dismissed for lack of evidence and reasonable certainty of conviction.
Section 4 (e) is for aiding or abetting or assisting counsels in or the commission of money laundering offenses
“Some of the cases were dismissed because they did not qualify under the new threshold. It speaks of the reforms of the department because we did not file a case if we are not sure that we will win,” he added.
Guo, detained at the Pasig City Jail, is facing qualified trafficking cases before a local court. She is also facing a graft case in a Valenzuela City court and a petition for the cancellation of her birth certificate before a Tarlac court.
Guo is also facing tax evasion charges, perjury, and falsification complaints before the DOJ.
Guo had claimed innocence in the charges filed against her.