A court in the Philippines has sentenced a Chinese woman – who became a local mayor while masquerading as a Philippine citizen – and seven others to life in prison on human trafficking charges, a state prosecutor said.

Alice Guo, 35, who served as mayor of a town north of Manila, was found guilty on Thursday of running a Chinese-operated gambling centre where hundreds of people were conscripted to carry out online scams on members of the public.

State prosecutor Olivia Torrevillas said that Guo – who was arrested in Indonesia in September 2024 after fleeing the Philippines – and seven other defendants would be jailed for life.

“After over just one year, the court … gave us a favourable decision. Alice (Guo) was convicted along with seven other co-accused. Life imprisonment,” Torrevil

See Full Page