Three Philippine government agencies filed a money laundering complaint on Friday, August 30, against 34 people, including dismissed Bamban mayor Alice Guo and Cassandra Ong1. The 105-page complaint was filed before the Department of Justice through the joint efforts of the Anti-Money Laundering Council, the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission and the National Bureau of Investigation1.
The complaint covers the raided Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator in Bamban, Tarlac, and also names Ong, an officer of a leasing company tied to another raided POGO in Porac, Pampanga1. It describes Ong as "a silent partner in the Bamban Pogo, as she was the one who contributed in the construction of the Baofu compound"1. Baofu is the leasing company incorporated by Guo, which rented its spaces to the Hongsheng/Zun Yuan POGO found to have trafficked and tortured workers1. Dennis Cunanan, a former government official convicted over the pork barrel scam, was also included; he appears on some government forms as consultant for both Hongsheng/Zun Yuan in Bamban and Lucky South 99 in Porac1.
Investigators said the dozen businesses under Guo's name were meant to conceal the true nature of their operations and make them appear legitimate1. The complaint said Guo never divested from Baofu, and that it was "overly impossible for Baofu to afford the construction of the buildings worth hundreds of millions, or even billions, which were purportedly leased to Hong Sheng and Zun Yuan"1. It also said Guo did not declare 12 vehicles in her Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth, and that she paid Hong Sheng's electric bills both with a check and cash until January 20241. Baofu "stopped using the banking system after its transaction in September 2020 despite its continued operation," the complaint said1.
On the corporate structure, the complaint noted that when Hong Sheng was raided in February 2023, another POGO, Zun Yuan, was incorporated, and that authorities treat Hong Sheng and Zun Yuan as one1. "With the huge capitalization of PHP100 million, it is extremely suspicious why Zun Yuan never opened any bank accounts for Zun Yuan," it said, adding that a background check on the incorporators revealed no financial capacity for such a venture1.
"Alice Guo and her cohorts intended to create layers and layers of corporations to make it appear that they were engaged in profitable and legitimate businesses, but in fact, they are not."
The complaint cites "commission of unlawful activities, such as Qualified Trafficking in Persons, violation of Securities Regulations Code and Swindling or Estafa and in turn, Money Laundering"1. Guo is facing a separate trafficking complaint before the DOJ1.
What it means for players
The complaint concerns the corporate and financial side of two raided POGO hubs, not the licensing status of any operator still taking bets. The Philippines has moved to ban offshore gaming, and the Bamban and Porac sites at the center of this case are among those already shut down by authorities. For locals, expats and visitors who gamble in the Philippines, the practical effect is on where money can move: the complaint alleges that Baofu stopped using the banking system from September 2020 while continuing to operate, which is the kind of pattern banks and payment providers screen for. Players using informal agents, e-wallets or person-to-person transfers tied to former POGO operators face the same screening. The case also illustrates how scam operations and unlicensed sites are financed and layered through property and shell companies, which is separate from the question of whether any individual venue is legal. For the current legal position on land-based and online play, see gambling in the Philippines.
What happens next
The complaint has been filed with the Department of Justice. No date has been reported for the start of the preliminary investigation, and no response from Guo, Ong or Cunanan to this complaint has been reported. Guo's separate trafficking complaint before the DOJ remains pending1.
