Guo preliminary probe resumes

The preliminary investigation into the qualified human trafficking charges filed against suspended Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo will resume today, 6 August, the Department of Justice (DoJ) announced.

The Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) and the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) have accused Guo of complicity in alleged illegal activities connected to the raided Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) in her town.

Guo and other respondents at the hearing will be required to file their counter-affidavits or risk being placed in default. They were initially required to refute the charges against them last 22 July.

However, the PNP-CIDG and PAOCC submitted a supplemental complaint, prompting a panel of prosecutors to extend the deadline until today to allow the respondents time to answer the charges.

The supplemental complaint followed the emergence of four new witnesses who provided further evidence linking Guo to POGOs. The PNP-CIDG and PAOCC have also re-impleaded a respondent who was previously exonerated by a government prosecutor due to insufficient evidence.