DoJ issues ‘ultimatum’ vs Guo over trafficking case

The Department of Justice (DoJ) has given suspended Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo and other respondents in the qualified human trafficking case until 6 August to answer the complaint against them.

In a statement, Justice Undersecretary Nicholas Felix Ty said only the respondents’ lawyers attended the preliminary investigation.

Prosecutors also moved the deadline for counter-affidavits after the complainant, a joint task force of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission and the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, filed a supplemental complaint with additional respondents based on new witness accounts.

“The complainants, our law enforcement (agencies) told me that they would not be filing a reply-affidavit anymore. So hopefully, after the respondents filed their counter-affidavits we can submit this case for resolution already,” Ty said.

To recall, Guo has been in hiding since the Senate ordered her arrest last month for defying a summons to attend a probe into offshore gaming operations.

She has earlier challenged the Senate’s action before the Supreme Court, arguing that her due process and privacy rights were violated.

Also named as respondents in the DoJ complaint are former Technology and Livelihood Resource Center deputy director general Dennis Cunanan, Guo’s business partner Huang Zhiyang, and corporate officers of POGO operator Zun Yuan Technology Center.

The case stemmed from a March raid on Zun Yuan that led to the arrest of several foreign nationals.

Guo’s camp has denied any involvement in illegal POGO operations, saying mere connections to individuals or companies do not constitute conspiracy.