MANILA – The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) is not considering the idea of turning suspended Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice a state witness into the illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) operation in her town.
According to PAOCC spokesperson Winston Casio, turning Guo into a state witness will only come into equation if she will be able to point to someone “higher” than her.
“Any state witness for that matter will have to be the least guilty in the entire conspiratorial chain in the commission of a crime,” Casio said in a news forum in Quezon City.
“We wouldn’t be open to that discussion until and unless we get higher on the food chain in relation to the crime that this group has committed,” Casio added.
Casio further said that with the way they appreciate the evidence they have now, the controversial mayor cannot be considered as the “least guilty.”
Guo is currently being investigated in relation to the raided POGO hub in Bamban due to alleged illegal activities such as human trafficking, torture, and scamming.
The Bamban mayor was allegedly involved in the raided POGO hub after several documents showed that she was personally involved in the processing of documents for its operations.
Earlier this week, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian urged Guo to expose the “main players” in illegal POGOs in the country.
Authorities have filed a complaint against Guo and 13 others for violation of Sections 4 and 6 of Republic Act (RA) 9208 or the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003 as amended by RA 10364, as further amended by RA 11862.
Guo was suspended in June after the Department of the Interior and Local Government filed graft charges against her with the Office of the Ombudsman./PN
