Ex-Mayor Guo Sentenced to Life for Human Trafficking

A Philippine court sentenced former Bamban town mayor Alice Guo to life imprisonment on Thursday for her role in a human trafficking operation tied to an illegal online scam center. The Pasig Regional Trial Court in Manila also convicted seven co-defendants, ordering all eight to pay fines of 2 million pesos each and compensate victims. Guo, 35, faces additional charges of money laundering and graft.

The court found Guo guilty of qualified human trafficking after authorities linked her to a sprawling complex in Bamban, Tarlac province, north of Manila. The site, owned by a company where Guo served as president, housed hundreds of foreign nationals forced to conduct online scams, including bogus investment schemes and romance frauds. Workers faced threats of torture, beatings, and electrocution if they failed to meet quotas, according to court documents and investigators.

The operation came to light in March 2024 when a Vietnamese employee escaped the compound and alerted police. A raid uncovered more than 700 victims from countries including the Philippines, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan, Indonesia, and Rwanda. The facility featured office buildings, luxury villas, and a...