Ex-Philippine mayor Alice Guo gets life term for human trafficking linked to scam hub

The verdict comes at a time when Asean leaders have expressed alarm over rising cybercrimes perpetrated by transnational gangs

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Alice Guo attends a hearing at the Senate in Manila over accusations of human trafficking in September 2024. Photo: AFP

Published: 10:39am, 20 Nov 2025Updated: 6:22pm, 20 Nov 2025

A Philippine court has found a former mayor guilty of human trafficking and sentenced her to life imprisonment over her role in setting up a scam centre, as Manila and other Southeast Asian governments vow to fight transnational criminal syndicates.

“Alice [Guo] was convicted and seven others, and it’s life sentence,” Deputy State Prosecutor Olivia Torrevillas told reporters outside the court hall in the capital on Thursday. Guo, who has been detained in a Manila jail since last year, appeared before the court via video conference.

The conviction was hailed as a decisive victory against organised crime by observers, strengthening the government’s hand in dismantling illicit Philippine offshore gaming operator (Pogo) hubs linked to exploitation and financial crime.

Senator Risa Hontiveros, who led the Senate investigations that exposed the trafficking activities hidden within Pogo compounds, said: “Today, justice has been served. The conviction of Alice Guo aka Guo Hua Ping is a victory against corruption, human trafficking, cybercrime, and many other transnational crimes.”

Alice Guo (centre) arriving at the Philippine Senate to attend a hearing investigating alleged illegal offshore gaming activities, in Pasay City, Metro Manila, Philippines, last year. Photo: Philippine Senate’s Social Media Unit/EPA-EFE

All convicted individuals were also ordered to pay 2 million pesos (US$34,000) each per case, in addition to monetary reparations owed to their victim-complainants, the Presidential Anti-Organised Crime Commission said in a statement. There was no immediate reaction from Guo and her lawyers.

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