BAMBAN, Tarlac—The once-bustling Philippine offshore gaming operator (Pogo) hub in this second-class town 100 kilometers from Manila is now eerily quiet.     

The 10-hectare Baofu compound just behind the municipal hall is a haunting reminder of a criminal enterprise that thrived under the watch of then Mayor Alice Guo, also known as Guo Hua Ping, who is now in jail.

It has been shuttered since it was raided by authorities on March 13, 2024, its 36 buildings, with nine villas, dormitories for foreign and local workers, offices, warehouses, tunnels, and so-called torture rooms, now abandoned. 

The compound is just two minutes away by air or a 14-km drive from Camp O’Donnell in Capas, home of the Philippine Army’s Training and Doctrine Command.

A recent visit by journalists accompanied by Winston Casio, former spokesperson and now deputy head for administration and legal affairs of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), allowed a glimpse into the facility. 

₱40-M villa 

At the center is a four-story villa worth an estimated ₱40 million. It was once occupied by Chinese national Huang Ziyang, the alleged big boss of the scam operation. 

The distinctly Chinese-inspired villa has red circular lanterns hanging on both sides of the main door. In the primary living room is a big cabinet holding an overwhelming display of Chinese figurines in different sizes and colors, some life-size, and traditional Chinese symbols such as a prosperity bowl. 

The high-ceilinged living area is both lavish and cozy, with gray and white curtains and a glossy marble-like floor. Big flat-screen TV sets hang on the walls. Sofas and chairs surround a long glass-topped wooden table littered with Coke cans, bottled water, remote controls, sheafs of paper, and other bottles and cans with Chinese characters. In one corner stand smoothly carved wooden ashtrays.

Elsewhere in the villa, paintings with Chinese characters hang on the walls and corridors. Each room displays luxury and grandeur.

But everything is coated with dust and is in a state of disarray, suggesting the hasty departure of its occupants.

Sauna, swimming pool

In one room, there is a wooden cabinet segmented into mini-lockers containing various medicines wrapped in plastic and with Chinese characters. In another, there is a crib/playpen beside a large bed with the sheets and pillows in a mess. An oversize chair is nearby. 

There is also a sauna in the villa. One bathroom has a filthy rug, and towels still hang on the railings. 

In the second-floor living room, a piece of paper with a list of figures totaling ₱70,250 lies on a table. Scattered nearby are ang pao, or red money envelopes. A box of L-Carnitine, used for weight loss, is on another table.

There is also a wooden glass cabinet filled with figurines in the second floor’s living area, along with a wooden glass table and a large sofa. Papers are scattered on the table, along with several open and sealed boxes marked with Chinese characters.

From the second-floor balcony at the back of the villa, an  Olympic-sized swimming pool can be seen. There is also a clear view of the Bamban town hall, which is a few minutes’ walk from the compound. 

In the underground level, the lights flicker on and off. There is a wine cellar with several bottles of expensive wines still on the racks.  

Luxury cars and other vehicles, at least nine of them, are parked and dusty just outside the villa. 

Tunnel

A two-minute walk away is another four-story building with a dark tunnel connected to the other buildings. Wild grass surrounds the tunnel’s entrance.

Inside are rusting refrigerators and other appliances once used to store food and supplies. Litter and debris, as well as construction materials, are everywhere, all covered in dust. 

According to the PAOCC’s Casio, the tunnel is more than just a passage.  He said the workers and residents of the compound could stay underground for up to 45 days because they had access to food stored there, and the tunnel was likely used during raids or emergencies as a place to hide, wait, and eventually disappear from. 

There are dormitories of up to eight stories and other buildings with galvanized iron sheets now heavily rusted. Grass has crept up the walls of the structures. 

Various pieces of steel are scattered around; some galvanized iron sheets appear to have been blown off by storm winds. Assorted cars and guardhouses have become prey to the elements. 

Civil and criminal forfeiture cases

What will happen to the buildings and assets in the Baofu compound?

PAOCC Executive Director Gilbert Cruz told CoverStory that the compound is now under an asset preservation order issued by the Makati Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 147 in connection with an ongoing petition for civil forfeiture. 

Cruz said the property is also subject of a criminal forfeiture proceeding attached to a case of qualified trafficking in persons now pending at the Pasig RTC Branch 167.

He said the PAOCC has custody of the property, and the Bamban Municipal Police Station is responsible for securing it.

“Since both civil and criminal forfeiture cases are pending, the court that issues a final ruling first will effectively determine the forfeiture status of the property,” Cruz said. 

He said the criminal case in Pasig is nearing resolution and is expected to be concluded ahead of the civil case in Makati.

“The long-term plan is to evaluate the property for potential use by government agencies, particularly those with operational needs that align with the location, structure, or nature of the compound,” Cruz said, adding that it may also be converted into a school. 

Last May, the Makati RTC forfeited in favor of the government about ₱189 million in various currencies and billion-peso assets from a Pogo-backed scam hub in Pampanga. Casio said the forfeiture was the first of its kind involving Pogos.

Last June, a Manila court declared the ousted mayor Guo “undoubtedly a Chinese citizen,” disqualifying her from holding any government post. 

Guo is detained at the Pasig City Jail on multiple charges including 62 counts of money laundering and qualified trafficking.

In his State of the Nation Address in July 2024, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declared a total ban on Pogo operations in the Philippines. 

Four months later, on Nov. 5, the President signed Executive Order No. 75. Citing a report from the Anti-Money Laundering Council, he pointed out that Pogo operations had become susceptible to money laundering, fraud and other illicit financial activities, thus posing threats to the integrity of the national financial system.