Presidential envoy explains Cassandra Li Ong's photo with First Couple

A presidential special envoy to China has denied close ties between President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and Cassandra Li Ong, who is being linked to an illegal POGO hub in Porac, Pampanga.

Presidential special envoy to China for Trade, Tourism and Investment Benito Techico made the denial after Atty. Ferdinand Topacio, Ong’s legal counsel, released a group photo showing the First Couple with Techico together with Ong and a supposed POGO owner in Porac, Pampanga, among others. 

According to Techico, the photo was authentic, but the story behind it as claimed by Topacio was not, based on Mariz Umali's report on Unang Balita on Tuesday.

Techico said the photo was taken in a Pasay City restaurant in November 2020, before Marcos was elected president. Back then, he said someone requested to have their photo taken with the Marcoses, but the couple had no idea who these people were. 

“After dinner, may pinakilala ‘yung restaurant owner na hindi rin naman namin alam kung sino. May mga kasama siya, pumasok na Chinese, at humingi ng litrato sa ating Presidente [around] 2020. Ang ating Presidente naman ay pinayagan naman po, the typical na nagpa-papicture. Ganon lang kasimple. After that lumabas na po [sila],” Techico said.

(After dinner, the restaurant owner introduced someone to us. They had Chinese companions who asked for a photo with our President around 2020. Our President allowed to have the photo taken. It's that simple. After that, they went out.) 

He added that he only found out that Ong was one of those who had their picture taken with the Marcos couple when the picture was made public by Topacio in a press conference. 

Techico also said he was not able to talk to the President regarding the photo. 

Topacio, on the other hand, alleged that the photo, which he said he got from the internet, may explain why illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hubs “multiplied” during the Marcos administration. 

Ong is the authorized representative of Lucky South 99, a POGO hub that was raided in Porac, Pampanga. She was intercepted in Indonesia last week and brought to the Philippines together with Shiela Guo, sister of dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo, who is also being linked to illegal POGO operations.

Ong and Shiela Guo were transferred Monday to the House of Representatives and Senate, respectively, from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), which took custody of the two upon their arrival in the Philippines. —Giselle Ombay/KBK, GMA Integrated News