00:00A mother whose identity was allegedly stolen and used to build a company linked to a Philippine
00:05offshore gaming operator is finally free, at least for now. This after nearly two years in detention
00:11after a passing court ordered the reduction of her bail. Merly Joy Castro was released on Tuesday,
00:16July 14 after posting a reduced bail of 180,000 pesos and spending 21 months in jail. She was
00:23among the accused in the qualified human trafficking charge that stemmed from pogos
00:27related to Alice Gospogo in Bamban, Tarlac. Castro surrendered to authorities on October 8,
00:322024 after her indictment. In 2025, the court acquitted Castro of qualified trafficking after
00:38prosecutors failed to prove she was involved in the incorporation of Hongsheng Gaming Technology
00:43Inc. But Castro remained in detention over a separate anti-money laundering case linked to
00:48the alleged misuse of her identity. She was unable to post the bail set by the court. Her freedom may
00:54be temporary as she still faces the money laundering case. Castro urges Filipinos not to forget Alice
00:59Guo and the Pogo operations, saying ordinary people like her became victims.
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