December 21, 2024 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — Citing strong evidence against them, a Pasig court has denied the petition for bail of former Bamban mayor Alice Guo and five of her co-accused in a qualified human trafficking case.
Judge Annielyn Medes-Cabelis of Pasig Regional Trial Court Branch 167 dismissed the petitions of Guo, Rita Yturralde, Rowena Evangelista, Thelma Laranan, Merlie Joy Castro and Rachelle Joan Carreon.
Jaimielyn Cruz and Maybelline Requiro Millo were allowed to post bail as the evidence against them was “not strong.”
The court decided not to fix the bail amount for them.
Guo will remain in detention at the female dormitory of the Pasig City Jail.
Aside from being suspected of espionage, Guo is also facing graft, money laundering and tax evasion charges due to her involvement in Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs).
Alleged Chinese spy Guo Hua Ping is reportedly connected with Zun Yuan Technology Inc., an illegal POGO hub in Bamban, Tarlac raided by authorities last March.
After hiding for several months, a Chinese woman tagged as the finance officer of Zun Yuan was arrested on Thursday in Pasay City.
Pan Meishu, 49, had evaded arrest when the POGO hub was raided.
The suspect was eating at a hotpot restaurant when authorities apprehended her, according to Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) executive director Gilbert Cruz.
Pan will remain in the custody of the Bureau of Immigration (BI).
Tracker teams from the PAOCC and BI, backed by Armed Forces of the Philippines personnel, were responsible for Pan’s arrest.
Cruz said Pan worked directly with property manager Walter Wong, a Malaysian detained at the Pasig jail.
Two vehicles seized in Bamban – a Mitsubishi Fuso Rosa and a Toyota Alphard – are registered under Pan’s name, Cruz noted.
“Pan will be facing both immigration charges and criminal charges as an alleged human trafficker due to her administrative role in the raided POGO,” he said.
Meanwhile, mayors will be held accountable for violating the POGO ban in their jurisdictions, according to Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla.
“President Marcos has given marching orders that local government units must comply with Executive Order 74 and we will hold the mayors accountable,” he said yesterday. — Emmanuel Tupas, Rudy Santos, Romina Cabrera
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