Abalos: Guo to face charges even if she is stateless

Whether Alice Guo is declared stateless or not, she will still face all the charges against her, Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos Jr. said on Saturday.

At the weekly Saturday News Forum in Quezon City, Abalos noted that numerous cases have been filed against Guo due to her involvement in Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGO), including issues related to her real identity and citizenship.

"Even if she becomes stateless, she has to face the charges against her," Abalos said.

"Remember, we (DILG) were the first to file charges against her (at the Office of the Ombudsman), as we only have supervising functions on local executives). We dont have power to suspend or dismissed," Abalos explained.

He added that the Department of Justice (DOJ) is currently handling cases related to Guo’s true identity and citizenship, which are complex issues.

DOJ Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Mico Clavano said that Guo is also facing charges related to her birth certificate.

"And whether it (Guo's live birth certificate) should be cancel, she should be facing the charges filed against her under Philippine laws," Clavano explained.

In addition to this and the Ombudsman case, Guo is facing charges of human trafficking due to her POGO involvement, with the case filed against her on 20 June.

"The status of the case is still in preliminary investigation," Clavano noted, mentioning that Guo's camp recently submitted a motion to admit her counter-affidavit, filed shortly after she was apprehended and returned by Abalos in Manila.

Clavano also stated that Guo is facing money laundering charges along with her accomplice Casandra Ong and unidentified business partners for having 92 bank accounts, which are subject to a freeze order from the Court of Appeals amounting to ₱7 billion.

This, according to Clavano, is why Guo is still considered a "big figure" in POGO controversy. "Unless she would name (a much bigger personality)," Clavano hinted, Guo would incur lesser liability.