Senators to House: Allow Cassandra Ong to attend inquiry on Alice Guo's escape

Senators on Tuesday appealed to the House of Representatives to allow Cassandra Li Ong, the authorized representative of the raided POGO hub in Porac, Pampanga, to attend the Senate inquiry into the alleged escape of dismissed Bamban mayor Alice Guo and her companions.

According to the secretariat of the Senate subcommittee on justice and human rights, they sent a request to the secretary general of the House of Representatives to allow Ong to attend the hearing and it was remanded to the quad committee that also investigates the issue on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO).

However, the Senate panel's secretariat did not receive a reply even though they tried to reach out.

Senator Risa Hontiveros, who presided over the hearing, manifested the possibility of Ong's attendance via video teleconferencing.

However, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III pointed out that Ong could still attend the Senate hearing as the House's inquiry is set for Wednesday.

"Sa pagkakaalam ko, bukas pa 'yung hearing ng quadcomm eh. So sana mapadala ng House dito. Pwede pa humabol for today si Cassandra Li Ong. So we make this public appeal to the House of Representatives to allow the appearance of Cassandra Li Ong in this particular Senate hearing being held today, right now. 'Yung kanila po kasi is bukas pa naman. Mababalik naman si Ms. Cassandra Li Ong on time for their quadcomm hearing," Pimentel said.

(From what I know, the quadcomm hearing is scheduled for tomorrow. So we hope the House can facilitate this today. Cassandra Li Ong can still make it for today. Therefore, we make this public appeal to the House of Representatives to allow Cassandra Li Ong to appear in this Senate hearing being held today, at this very moment. Their schedule is actually set for tomorrow and Ms. Cassandra Li Ong can return in time for their quadcomm hearing.)

Pimentel then requested Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada, who is present at the hearing, to "make representation" since the latter is "very close" to the leadership of the House of Representatives so they can facilitate Ong's attendance to the Senate inquiry.

Hontiveros and Senator Sherwin Gatchalian supported Pimentel's appeal.

For his part, Gatchalian noted that the Senate committee on women, children, family relations, and gender equality already issued a subpoena against Ong as early as June 26 and she has a pending citation for contempt since July 10.

"She has a pending citation for contempt here in the Senate. We once again appeal to our colleagues in the House, since the agreement was so that both chambers will be given the chance to field their questions to the resource persons, Ms. Cassandra will be allowed to participate in the Senate hearing," he said.

The House previously issued an order to take custody of Ong as she has been slapped with a contempt order for her continued failure to attend the investigation on POGO-related crimes.

Ong is the authorized representative of Lucky South 99, a POGO that was raided in Porac, Pampanga and is believed to be connected to the POGO hub in Bamban, Tarlac.

Meanwhile, Ong's lawyers Ferdinand Topacio, Joselito Lomangaya, and Raphael Antonio Andrada wrote the Senate justice and human rights subcommittee that Ong "has opted to decline from testifying on any matter that may be raised by the committees, in the exercise of her right to remain silent and against being compelled to testify against herself."

However, Hontiveros pointed out that the letter is "premature and wholly unnecessary."

She cited the Supreme Court ruling on the case of Sabio vs. Gordon which ruled that "the right against self-incrimination cannot justify one's outright refusal to appear before a Senate committee."

Hontiveros emphasized that this right can only be invoked when incriminating questions are already being asked.—AOL, GMA Integrated News