SC OKAYS TRANSFER OF GUO TRAFFICKING CASES  FROM CAPAS TO PASIG

THE Supreme Court (SC) has approved the transfer to Pasig from Capas, Tarlac the human trafficking charge filed against dismissed Bamban mayor Alice Guo and her cohorts.

Based on a letter dated April 22 to Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo, DOJ Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla urged the SC to transfer to Metro Manila criminal case numbers 9855-9857 (PP vs Ma The Pong, Wang Weili, Lang Xu et. al), which were filed before the Capas Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 66.

Remulla cited the pressing need to safeguard national interest and ensure fairness in the justice system, considering that the high-profile cases exceed local boundaries which affect national security and general policies.

The DOJ chief added that importance of preserving the integrity of trial proceedings by preventing possible local biases or undue influences thereto with the utilization of a neutral venue along with the court’s blessing.

The SC found the request meritorious and ordered the Capas lower court to transfer all the files related to the disputed cases to the Pasig City RTC.

Aside from Guo, others to be charged in court are her business partners, including Huang Zhiyang, the foreign national identified as the “boss of all bosses” of illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators.

The charges stemmed from the complaint filed by the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission.

Under the law governing trafficking in persons, individuals who organize an establishment engaged in human trafficking may be held accountable for human trafficking despite not having direct participation in criminal activities such as torture, rape, forced labor and other related acts.