Alice Guo, a Chinese national who served as mayor in the Philippines while posing as a Filipina, has been sentenced to life in prison for her involvement in human trafficking, according to state prosecutors. Alongside Guo, seven others were also sentenced for their roles in running a Chinese-operated online gambling hub notorious for exploiting victims.
Guo, who was the mayor of a town north of Manila, was convicted of managing a facility where hundreds of individuals were coerced into conducting scams, facing extreme threats of violence should they resist. This extensive operation included office buildings, lavish villas, and a swimming pool, and was raided in March 2024 after a Vietnamese worker managed to escape and alert authorities.
During the raid, law enforcement discovered more than 700 individuals from various countries, including the Philippines, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan, Indonesia, and Rwanda. Evidence presented in court indicated that Guo was the president of the company that owned the premises.
According to state prosecutor Olivia Torrevillas, the court reached a verdict just over a year after the initial proceedings began. Although the identities of Guo’s co-defendants were not disclosed due to privacy laws, it was stated that she and three others were found guilty of organizing trafficking, while the remaining four were convicted of trafficking acts.
Guo, 35, was apprehended by Indonesian authorities in September 2024 after fleeing the Philippines. Despite her election to the mayoral position in Bamban, a court determined in June that, as a Chinese citizen, she was ineligible to hold that office.
The sentencing comes amidst a growing crackdown on the transnational scam industry, particularly in Southeast Asia, where the scale of scams has surged in recent years. A UN report indicated that victims across the region lost nearly $37 billion to scams in 2023, though the overall losses may be significantly higher.
In response to the growing alarm over such crimes, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced a ban on offshore gambling operations in mid-2024. This directive followed rising public outrage regarding the Guo case and ordered the expulsion of foreign nationals working at these premises. The Philippines is taking steps to combat these illicit activities, reflecting a commitment to safeguarding vulnerable individuals targeted by traffickers.