The Department of Justice (DoJ) will ask a court to issue a Preliminary Hold Departure Order (PHDO) against suspended Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice L. Guo and 17 others who are charged in a non-bailable qualified trafficking in persons complaint, after the issuance of an Immigration Lookout Bulletin (ILBO).

The DoJ stated that upon court approval, immigration officers will be authorized to prevent Guo and her co-respondents from departing the country while the DoJ conducts its preliminary investigation into the charges filed against them.

A PHDO can be converted to a hold departure order (HDO) once a case is filed in court.

The ILBO, signed by Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on 21 June, placed on the Bureau of Immigration (BI) watchlist not only Guo, also known as Guo Hua Ping, but also former Technology Resource Center (TRC) head Dennis L. Cunanan, Zhang Jie, Zhang Ruijin, Baoying Lin, Rachelle Joan Malonzo Carreon,

Huang Zhiyang, Thelma Barrogo Laranan, Rowena Gonzales Evangelista, Rita S. Yturralde, Merlie Joy Manalo Castro, Yu Zheng Can, Jaimelyn Santos Cruz, Roderick Paul B. Pujante, Juan Miguel Alpas, Katherine Cassandra Li Ong, Wesley Guo and Julian M. Linsangan III.

The Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) and the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) filed with the DoJ last Friday a non-bailable qualified human trafficking complaint against Guo and the others regarding the illegal activities of the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) Zun Yuan Technology Center in Bamban town.

Guo, along with two other Bamban town officials, had been placed under a six-month preventive suspension by the Office of the Ombudsman following the filing of administrative charges against them by the Department of the Interior and Local Government related to the POGO operations.

“Under the ILBO, the BI has been directed to monitor the movements of the respondents and alert authorities on any attempts to flee the country,” Remulla said.

Meanwhile, the Ombudsman junked Guo’s appeal to lift the six-month preventive suspension imposed on her in connection with her alleged ties to the illegal POGO operations in her town.

According to the Ombudsman, there was “no compelling reason” to reconsider the suspension order against Guo and two other suspended municipal officials, Edwin Ocampo and Adenn Sigua.

The Ombudsman reiterated that the suspension was only a preventive measure and not a penalty because their continued stay in office posed a threat to potential witnesses and would prejudice the investigation of the case.

“[T]he purpose thereof is to prevent the accused from using their positions and the powers and prerogative of their offices to influence potential witnesses or to tamper with records which may be vital in the prosecution of the case against them,” the decision dated 18 June read.

On 6 June, Guo’s camp filed a motion for reconsideration before the Ombudsman to lift its preventive suspension order, arguing that the allegations against the local chief executive were an “amalgam of exceedingly distorted, exaggerated and fabricated stories viciously designed to hoodwink” the Ombudsman.

“A perusal of the assailed order, which is the only basis for respondent Guo to file this instant motion, would readily show that the complaint filed against her is founded on erroneous accusations. It bears to emphasize that the allegations found therein are based on a misapprehension of facts and laws,” Guo’s motion read.

The Ombudsman, however, stood by its preliminary findings, contending that there was strong evidence against the three local officials.

“Again, without delving into the merits of the case and without prejudging the same, this office reiterates its preliminary finding that there are sufficient grounds to hold that the evidence against respondents Guo, Campo, and Sigua is strong at this time,” the Ombudsman said.

Citing a statement of account of the Tarlac Electric Cooperative Inc., the Ombudsman said Guo had an undeniable business interest in Baofu Land Development Inc., the POGO compound in Bamban.

Baofu hosts Zun Yuan Technology and Hongsheng Gaming Technology Inc., which were raided earlier this year by the PAOCC for alleged human trafficking and fraudulent cryptocurrency investment operations, respectively.

Records showed that Zun Yuan and Hongsheng continued their operations, notwithstanding the cease-and-desist order from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.

Guo is said to be the president of Baofu and owns at least 50 percent of the firm’s stock.