Ombudsman dimisses Guo for Pogo role

National

The Office of the Ombudsman has dismissed suspended Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo for grave misconduct, citing her involvement in a raided Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator POGO hub.

The Ombudsman’s 25 page decision dated August 12 emphasized that Guo acted with "willful intent to violate the law or disregard established rules."

As a result, the Ombudsman dismissed Guo from public service, ordered the forfeiture of all her retirement benefits, and permanently disqualified her from holding any public office.

Investigation revealed that Guo played a significant role in the operations of Zun Yuan Technology, a POGO entity that authorities raided earlier this year.

The POGO hub was located within the Baofu Land Development Inc. compound, where Guo held the position of President.

This conflict of interest, the Ombudsman noted, allowed Guo to benefit directly from the illegal activities of the POGO.

The Ombudsman found that Guo not only failed to investigate the illegal operations but also facilitated them.

She allegedly issued business permits to the POGO hub despite its non-compliance with fire safety regulations and pushed for the Sanggunian to pass a Letter of No Objection in favor of the POGO’s continued operation.

Guo’s legal troubles have extended beyond this dismissal.

The Commission on Elections Comelec has served her with a subpoena related to a material misrepresentation complaint concerning her candidacy.

Additionally, Guo faces a human trafficking complaint before the Department of Justice, under the alias "Guo Hua Ping," which authorities have confirmed she used.

The Ombudsman’s decision also led to the suspension of 12 other Bamban officials for three months. These officials, including Vice Mayor Leonardo Anunciacion and business permit and licensing officer Edwin Ocampo, were found guilty of conduct prejudicial to the best interest of service.

The government, through the Solicitor General, may proceed with a quo warranto case against Guo.

If successful, this case could permanently bar her from running for any elective position in the future. While Guo has the option to appeal the Ombudsman’s decision, her legal challenges appear far from over. MyTVCebu