Philippine mayor accused of spying for China is sentenced to life in prison

A Philippine trial court has sentenced a former mayor accused of having ties to Chinese criminal syndicates to life imprisonment after finding her guilty of human trafficking, a government anti-crime agency said on Thursday.

MANILA, Philippines — A Philippine trial court has sentenced a former mayor accused of having ties to Chinese criminal syndicates to life imprisonment after finding her guilty of human trafficking, a government anti-crime agency said Thursday.

Alice Guo ran for mayor in Bamban, an agricultural town north of the capital, Manila, as a Filipino citizen, but she was later identified by law enforcement as Chinese national Guo Hua Ping.

“This eagerly awaited ruling is not only a legal victory but also a moral one. It delivers justice to victims, reaffirms the government’s united stance against organized crime,” the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) said in a statement.

Guo’s lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Guo has previously denied links to criminals and has also maintained that she is a natural-born Philippine citizen.

The Philippine Senate launched a congressional investigation into Guo in May last year, two months after a police raid revealed a scam center operating out of a facility built on land partially owned by Guo. It was one of many such centers to spring up across Southeast Asia in recent years.