THE Pasig City Regional Trial Court has junked the demurrer to evidence filed by dismissed Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo in the qualified human trafficking case filed against her and several others by the Department of Justice.
A demurrer to evidence is akin to a motion to dismiss a case due to the failure of the prosecution to prove that the evidence is strong enough to warrant a conviction.
The May 9 ruling by Pasig RTC Branch 167 Presiding Judge Annielyn Medes-Cabelis paved the way for the continuation of the trial of the case against Guo and her co-accused, Rita Sapnu Yturralde, Thelma Barrogo Laranan, Rowena Gonzales Evangelista, and Merlie Joy Manalo Castro.
The court said the demurrer filed by Guo and her co-accused “lacked merit and strong evidence of guilt.”
With the denial, the court directed the accused to start presenting their evidence, with hearings set for May 15, 19, 20, and 28.
The court said the accused may still file a demurrer without prior leave, but if they do so, they forfeit their right to present evidence if the demurrer is denied in accordance with Section 23, Rule 119 of the Revised Rules of Criminal Procedures.
However, the court granted the demurrer filed by another accused, Jamielyn Santos Cruz.
“She is given a non-extendible period of ten days from receipt of this Resolution to file her Demurrer to Evidence,” the court said, adding the prosecution must also answer Cruz’s demurrer within 10 days from receipt.
The qualified trafficking case against Guo and her co-accused was filed by the DOJ last year in connection with their alleged involvement in the operation of a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hub in Bamban that was raided by authorities for alleged involvement in illegal activities, including human trafficking.
Guo, who is facing a string of criminal cases, has repeatedly denied her link or connection to the POGO operation in Bamban.
She is detained at the Pasig City jail after she was extradited by Indonesian authorities last year after she fled the country.
The case was originally filed before the Capas RTC in Tarlac, but the Supreme Court approved the DOJ’s request for transfer of venue to “safeguard national interest and ensure fairness” in the justice system, considering the personalities involved in the case.
