Photo credit: Congress PH

In a heated legislative inquiry, Alice Guo found herself at the center of accusations surrounding her involvement in serious immigration fraud and shady business practices. When questioned, Guo brought up a past immigration case where she was accused of using fake passports and falsifying her nationality. However, it didn’t stop there.

Representative Romeo Acop was quick to counter Guo’s defense, arguing that she invoked her right against self-incrimination on questions that were irrelevant to the cases filed against her. Acop didn’t hold back, accusing Guo of disrespecting the legislative process and misusing her constitutional rights.

"Niloloko mo na kami. My colleagues are right in telling me that you are making a mockery of the citizens of this country because you're not from here," Acop declared during the session.

As the quad committee’s investigation dug deeper, it became clear that Guo, who is believed to be a Chinese national, had taken advantage of loopholes in the Philippines’ legal and identification systems. These gaps allowed her to set up businesses, some of which were allegedly linked to illegal syndicates operating offshore gaming services in the country.

A Web of Illicit Deals and Shady Connections

Rep. Gerville Luistro, from Batangas' 2nd District, further exposed Guo’s connection to individuals involved in high-profile money laundering cases. According to Luistro, Guo was tied to Lin Baoying and Ruijin Zhang, both convicted in Singapore for laundering a staggering USD3 billion. Along with another incorporator, Huang Zhiyang, implicated in cybercrimes, Guo was said to be involved in operating illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) such as Hongsheng Gaming Technology and Zun Yuan Technology. These companies were linked to human trafficking and money laundering activities.

Even more alarming, Guo was found to have fraudulently secured a Philippine birth certificate and passport through late registration—a move that opened doors for her to run for public office and establish several businesses under questionable legality.

“This fictitious birth certificate paved the way for Ms. Alice Guo to solicit identification cards from different government offices,” Luistro explained. She emphasized the need for reforms to prevent foreign nationals from abusing these systems.

A Call for Stricter Anti-Money Laundering Laws

Luistro called for a complete overhaul of the way corporations are verified in the Philippines, urging the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to strengthen its monitoring mechanisms. According to her, the layering of various documents to create fake corporations made it increasingly difficult for the government to track the illegal activities of foreign nationals.

In addition, she stressed the need for tighter anti-money laundering laws, noting that illegal POGOs and their associated activities could not thrive without unregulated financial transactions.

“Illegal activities and illegal POGOs will not proliferate if they are not able to transfer money,” Luistro said, urging the committee to act swiftly in tightening regulations.

With these revelations, the pressure is on to crack down on foreign exploitation of the country’s legal systems and put an end to the proliferation of illegal businesses linked to organized crime.