Chinese woman in Philippines jailed for trafficking

Alice Guo had earlier faked nationality to serve as mayor of a town north of Manila

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(AFP)

A Chinese woman who faked Philippine nationality to become a town mayor was sentenced yesterday to life in prison on human trafficking charges, a Manila regional court said.

Alice Guo, who served as mayor of a town north of the capital, was found guilty of overseeing a Chinese-operated online gambling centre where hundreds of people were forced to run scams or risk torture.

The sprawling complex, which included office buildings, luxury villas and a large swimming pool, was raided in March 2024 after a Vietnamese worker escaped and called the police.