Alice Guo announced on Tuesday that she would not seek reelection as mayor of Bamban in 2025 in an effort to clear her name amid the ongoing cases filed against her.
According to local media outlet Inquirer.net, Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada raised the issue during the Senate panel’s 15th hearing regarding Guo’s connections to Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs).
Guo expressed her commitment to confronting the accusations against her and emphasized her dedication to her constituents.
During the hearing, Senator Joel Villanueva cautioned that POGOs might be sponsoring candidates for the 2025 elections, highlighting that this phenomenon of “POGO politics” represents a new form of corruption.
Guo, who is currently detained at the Pasig City Jail, faces charges including graft, qualified human trafficking, money laundering, and tax evasion related to her alleged involvement with the illegal activities of a POGO hub in her town.
She was dismissed from her position as mayor of Bamban in August.
The Department of Foreign Affairs revoked Guo’s Philippine passport after discovering that her biometrics matched those of Guo Hua Ping, a Chinese passport holder, in the National Bureau of Investigation’s records.
