Senate Deputy Majority Leader Risa Hontiveros expressed gratitude in a Facebook post on Thursday, November 20, following the conviction of former Bamban City Mayor Alice Guo, also known as Guo Hua Ping.
The Pasig City Regional Trial Court (Pasig RTC) Branch 167 found Guo guilty of Qualified Human Trafficking, after proving her involvement in illegal operations of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGO) in the country.
“Today, justice has been served. The conviction of Alice Guo, aka Guo Hua Ping, is a victory against corruption, human trafficking, cybercrime, and many other transnational crimes. Ngayon, hindi na sila makakaulit,” Hontiveros said.
“This Senate investigation delivered unprecedented results: it helped secure a presidential executive order banning POGOs, provided evidence towards a guilty verdict, sending a criminal to prison for life, and contributed in the passage of the Anti-POGO Law of 2025. I am proud to consider it one of the most consequential Senate inquiries of my life’s work so far,” she added.
Hontiveros also thanked the victims, witnesses, and whistleblowers who came forward, as well as prosecutors and law enforcers who ensured justice was served.
“Maraming salamat sa mga biktima, witnesses, at whistleblowers naglakas loob tumestigo sa Senado. Our deepest gratitude to our prosecutors at the DOJ who brought this case to justice. Sa ating mga law enforcers na hindi nagsawang mag-imbestiga, mag-raid, at mag-rescue, maraming salamat sa inyo. To the Filipino public, maraming salamat sa inyong maiging pagsubaybay at pagbabantay,” she said.
The lawmaker said the ruling gives hope but emphasized that the work is far from over.
“Bilang Chairperson ng Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality na nanguna sa imbestigasyon, this makes me feel hopeful about the work we do. But it is far from over. We will continue to demand accountability from every government agency that failed in their duties, and we will continue to investigate the full extent of Chinese intelligence operations in our country,” Hontiveros stated.
She also addressed those who allegedly enabled Guo’s criminal operations: “And to all others who enabled Alice Guo’s criminal empire: the Philippines is not a playground for exploitation, infiltration, and espionage. Accountability is coming. Justice always finds a way,” she concluded.
Hontiveros led the Senate inquiry into POGO operations across various parts of the country, which ultimately played a key role in the legal crackdown.