MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Internal Revenue has filed a ₱2.228-billion tax evasion complaint against Hongsheng Gaming Technology Inc. before the Department of Justice, adding a massive tax case to the long list of controversies surrounding the offshore gaming company previously linked to the notorious Bamban, Tarlac POGO compound.
According to the BIR, Hongsheng allegedly committed several tax violations covering taxable years 2021 to 2023, including the underdeclaration of income, incorrect declaration of value-added tax, and failure to properly withhold and remit final withholding taxes involving foreign employees.
The bureau placed the company’s alleged total deficiency tax liability at exactly ₱2,227,759,311.21.
BIR: Government Records Allegedly Did Not Match Hongsheng’s Declarations
The case reportedly stemmed from an examination of Hongsheng’s tax declarations and information obtained from other government agencies.
According to the BIR, investigators discovered substantial discrepancies between income reported by Hongsheng and figures reflected in official government records.
Those discrepancies, together with alleged deficiencies involving VAT and withholding taxes, ultimately pushed the government’s assessment above the ₱2.2-billion mark.
BIR Commissioner Charlito Martin R. Mendoza said the government would continue pursuing businesses suspected of deliberately avoiding their tax obligations, stressing that companies earning money in the Philippines must comply with Philippine tax laws.
The complaint was filed under the BIR’s Run After Tax Evaders, or RATE, Program, its enforcement campaign targeting individuals and corporations accused of substantial violations of the National Internal Revenue Code.
Importantly, the filing of a complaint does not by itself establish criminal guilt. The allegations will have to undergo the appropriate DOJ proceedings, where prosecutors determine whether sufficient grounds exist to bring charges to court.
Why the Name Hongsheng Gaming Is Already Familiar
The tax case becomes considerably more significant because Hongsheng Gaming Technology is not an obscure gaming operator suddenly entering the government’s radar.
The company previously operated inside the controversial offshore gaming compound in Bamban, Tarlac, which later became one of the central locations examined during the government’s nationwide investigation into illegal POGO operations.
Authorities raided Hongsheng in February 2023 over allegations involving fraudulent cryptocurrency investment activities. The same Bamban compound subsequently housed Zun Yuan Technology Inc., which was raided in March 2024 amid allegations involving human trafficking, serious illegal detention and online investment scams.
Government investigations also established connections between the compound and former Bamban mayor Alice Guo, also known as Guo Hua Ping.
Documents examined during congressional investigations showed that before becoming mayor, Guo had acted as a representative in Hongsheng’s efforts to secure local approval for gaming operations in Bamban. A municipal resolution specifically identified her as Hongsheng’s representative for applications involving government agencies.
From POGO Investigation to Criminal Conviction
The Bamban investigation eventually developed into something far larger than questions over gaming licenses.
In November 2025, the Department of Justice announced that a Pasig Regional Trial Court had convicted Guo and several co-accused of qualified trafficking in persons.
The DOJ said the case involved Guo’s role in providing financial support to labor trafficking through entities including Baofu Land Development Inc., Hongsheng Gaming Technology Inc. and Zun Yuan Technology Inc.
Those convicted received life imprisonment and were ordered to pay fines, according to the DOJ.
The new BIR complaint against Hongsheng is a separate tax enforcement action and should not be treated as proof that the company or its officers are guilty of the new tax allegations.
Still, it adds another layer of scrutiny to a corporate name already prominent in investigations involving offshore gaming, financial transactions and the Bamban POGO controversy.
Hongsheng Was Also Named in Money-Laundering Investigations
The tax allegations are not Hongsheng’s first encounter with financial investigators.
In 2024, authorities filed money-laundering complaints connected with approximately ₱7 billion in assets associated with alleged scam-farm activities in Central Luzon. Officials and entities named in those proceedings included people connected with Hongsheng Gaming Technology, Zun Yuan Technology, Baofu Land Development and other companies.
The Anti-Money Laundering Council also previously linked Hongsheng and other entities connected to the Bamban compound to investigations involving suspected trafficking, fraud and money laundering.
Separate government records described the Bamban network as involving layers of corporations and substantial financial transactions that attracted scrutiny from multiple agencies.
Why the ₱2.2-Billion Complaint Matters
The latest case shows how the government’s crackdown on offshore gaming operations has expanded beyond raids and immigration enforcement.
Authorities are increasingly following the financial and tax records of companies and individuals associated with the industry.
In Hongsheng’s case, the BIR is essentially asking another question:
Even aside from the criminal controversies surrounding the Bamban operation, were the taxes generated by its Philippine business activities properly declared and paid?
The amount involved makes that question difficult to ignore.
A deficiency tax assessment of more than ₱2.227 billion represents potentially significant lost government revenue if the allegations are eventually established through the proper legal process.
It may also provide investigators with another avenue for examining the financial structure behind companies that previously operated in the Philippine offshore gaming sector.
What Happens Next?
The complaint is now before the Department of Justice, where prosecutors can evaluate the BIR’s evidence and determine whether criminal charges should ultimately be filed in court.
That distinction is important: Hongsheng has been accused, but the tax-evasion allegations have not yet been proven in court.
The company’s response to the latest BIR allegations was not included in the Bombo Radyo report reviewed for this article.
But given Hongsheng’s history inside the Bamban POGO investigation, the case is unlikely to be viewed as an ordinary corporate tax dispute.
What began as scrutiny of an offshore gaming operator has already crossed into investigations involving alleged scams, trafficking, money laundering and corporate relationships.
Now the government is following another trail:
the taxes.
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