The recent conviction of Alice Guo, the former mayor whose identity and rise to power became a disturbing national scandal, is far more than an isolated legal victory. It is a seismic political event that has sent shockwaves through the very top echelons of the political and administrative structure in the Philippines. The public’s reaction—a mix of satisfaction and grim determination—is rooted in the widespread belief that Guo was merely the visible tip of a deep, dark network of corruption, illicit foreign influence, and high-level official complicity. Now, the collective cry from the citizens, and echoed by political observers, is clear: The Domino Effect has begun. The sentencing of Guo must be followed by the immediate accountability of her alleged enablers: Zaldy Co, Harry Roque, Cassandra Ong, and—most terrifyingly for the political elite—a fresh wave of investigations targeting sitting Senators.

This is not a conspiracy theory; it is a direct challenge to the culture of impunity that has plagued the nation for decades. The case of Alice Guo—a figure who was revealed to be an alleged foreign national with questionable ties, yet somehow ascended to a mayoral post—exposed the fundamental vulnerability of the country’s democratic processes and national security safeguards. Her conviction on human trafficking charges related to illegal offshore gaming operations (POGOs) is the judicial confirmation that a vast criminal enterprise was operating, not just despite the system, but seemingly within it. The subsequent pursuit of her alleged associates is the next logical, necessary step to dismantle the entire operation and reassure a skeptical public that the law truly applies to everyone.

The first domino widely expected to fall is Zaldy Co, a political figure who has become synonymous with the corruption scandals surrounding massive flood control projects. While Co’s legal troubles initially seem separate from the POGO and identity issues of Guo, they are linked by the common thread of alleged high-level corruption and the brazen misuse of public funds. The public views both Co and Guo as symbols of a system that allows powerful individuals to steal with impunity and compromise public safety (in Co’s case, infrastructure integrity; in Guo’s case, national security). With Co now reportedly facing consolidated trials for graft and malversation through falsification, the pressure is immense. The public demands that the same legal rigor and political will that led to Guo’s conviction be applied to those implicated in the systematic theft of public funds, particularly after a prominent figure like Co has been accused of political manipulation of a major political base.

Next on the list are two individuals whose involvement in the POGO controversy has drawn intense scrutiny: Harry Roque and Cassandra Ong. Roque, the former presidential spokesperson, is reportedly fighting extradition from abroad after being charged with qualified human trafficking for his alleged role as a lawyer for one of the companies involved in the POGO scam hubs. Ong, a reported associate of Guo, is similarly charged and is currently a fugitive, with a reward offered for her capture. The government’s moves to cancel their passports and seek an Interpol Red Notice against them are clear signals that the state is serious about closing the net on those who fled to evade justice. For the public, these individuals represent the ultimate test of the system: Can the government reach across international borders to drag powerful figures back to face justice? Their successful prosecution, following Guo’s conviction, would confirm that the POGO scandal’s reach extends far beyond Tarlac, and that no political defense can shield those who enable organized crime.

The collective political anxiety, however, peaks with the phrase: “Next are the Senators!” This is the ultimate, terrifying prospect for the political elite. The investigations into the Alice Guo saga, the POGO hubs, and the flood control anomalies were largely spearheaded by the Senate, with senators leading the charge in exposing the truth. But as the threads of these controversies are pulled, the trail of complicity and unexplained wealth inevitably leads back to the national legislature.

The public’s demand is based on a simple, logical deduction: the operations run by people like Guo and the anomalous projects linked to people like Co could not have been sustained without high-level political protection and facilitation. That protection, many believe, came from the very body tasked with oversight. The phrase “Next are the Senators!” represents the public’s conviction that justice must not stop at the mayoral or lower administrative levels. It must climb the political ladder until it reaches the final source of institutional protection—the enablers and financiers within the Senate itself.

The potential for this next stage of accountability creates a deep, paralyzing fear within the political establishment. A credible, aggressive investigation into the financial dealings, political endorsements, and legislative actions of sitting senators related to POGO interests or major anomalous projects would shatter the delicate political balance. It would force a complete and brutal realignment of political power, as political parties and blocs would be forced to abandon powerful colleagues to survive. The mere possibility of a sitting senator facing arrest, impeachment, or disqualification based on evidence uncovered from the Guo or Co cases is enough to send a widespread tremor through Malacañang and Congress.

The momentum generated by Alice Guo’s conviction cannot be understated. It has created a legal precedent and a political expectation. It has emboldened prosecutors, investigators, and journalists. It has, crucially, convinced the public that powerful people can be held accountable. This popular mandate for justice is now the strongest political force in the country, demanding that the administration continue the purge, relentlessly pursuing every thread, no matter how high up the political hierarchy it leads. The pursuit of Zaldy Co, Harry Roque, and Cassandra Ong is not the end of the line; it is merely the opening sequence to what the public hopes will be the most significant anti-corruption cleansing in the nation’s history. The conviction of Alice Guo was the shot across the bow; the fall of the next set of political dominoes is now just a matter of time.