Qualified trafficking complaint filed vs. Cassandra Li Ong, others

Authorities on Tuesday filed a qualified trafficking complaint against Cassandra Li Ong and more than 50 others in connection to the raided Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) firm in Porac, Pampanga.

In the complaint filed with the Department of Justice (DOJ), authorities accused Ong, the authorized representative of the POGO hub Lucky South 99, and others of violating Republic Act (RA) 9208, as amended by RA 10364, as further amended by RA 11862.

At a press briefing, Justice Undersecretary Nicky Ty said Ong was named a respondent because of her involvement in the Whirlwind Corporation, which leases the land where the Lucky South 99 is located.

“Siya ay isa sa mga incorporator at may ari ng Whirlwind Corporation. At bukod doon, lumalabas sa ebidensya na pinatakbo niya ang Lucky South 99,” Ty said.

(She is one of the incorporators and owners of Whirlwind Corporation. Additionally, evidence shows that she operated Lucky South 99.)

Meanwhile, also named respondents were Duanren Wu, Ong’s boss and godfather; Ronalyn Baterna, the corporate secretary of the POGO; former  Technology and Livelihood Resource Center (TLRC) deputy director general Dennis Cunanan; and other incorporators.

Also included was Singaporean Zhang Jie, who allegedly booked four rooms at the Harris Hotel Batam Center for dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo and her siblings when they left the country.

GMA News Online has sought comment from the camps of Ong and Cunanan but has yet to receive a response as of posting time.

The complainants are the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) and the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC).

PNP CIDG and PAOCC filed qualified trafficking charges against Cassy Li, Ronalyn Baterna, and 50 others at the DOJ. Some John Does and Jane Does for their participation in the Lucky South 99 scam farm in Porac, Pampanga. pic.twitter.com/qMVtCDmoPb

— PAOCC_SPOXCasio (@casio111921) September 10, 2024

Criminal enterprise

Meanwhile, Ty said that their team considers the Lucky South 99 and Whirlwind to be the same entity.

“Itong union ng Lucky South 99 at ng Whirlwind Corporation hindi ito pang karaniwang negosya ha? Sinabi ng mga piskal natin at ng mga complainants natin ay itong negosyo na ito, criminal enterprise ito. Criminal enterprise through and through,” Ty said.

(The union of Lucky South 99 and Whirlwind Corporation is not your typical business, okay? Our prosecutors and our complainants have said that this business is a criminal enterprise. A criminal enterprise through and through.)

“Wala talagang mabuting ginawa ito. Umpisa pa lang, nung ginawa na siya, illegal na ang plano niya. In fact, ‘yung paggawa sa kanya illegal,” he added.

(This business has done nothing good. From the very beginning, when it was created, its plan was illegal. In fact, even its establishment was illegal.)

Meanwhile, PAOCC spokesperson Dr. Winston Casio said the Lucky South 99 was “notorious within the POGO communities” as “buyers.”

“Sila ‘yung pinakamalaking mamimili ng tao. They buy people from— ‘yung mga nalululong sa mga casino. Meron kasing grupo talaga, Chinese group, na kidnappers po talaga,” Casio said.

(They are the biggest buyers of people. They buy people from— those who get hooked in casinos. There is indeed a group, a Chinese group, that are really kidnappers.)

The complainants, ten victim-witnesses from the POGO hub, testified at the DOJ earlier.

“Ito ‘yung mga kinidnap, inubduct para makulong sa Lucky South 99. ‘Yung iba doon kinuha sa mga casino, pinautang, hindi na makabayad. Dinala sila doon sa Lucky South,” Provincial Prosecutor Sonny Ocampo said.

(These are the people who were kidnapped, abducted to be imprisoned in Lucky South 99. Some of them were taken from casinos, given loans, and couldn’t pay them back. They were brought to Lucky South.)

Forfeiture

According to Ty, this is only the first of many cases.

“Ang huli na lang namin sasabihin ay ito ay unang hakbang pa lamang sa kaso laban sa Lucky South 99, no? Napakarami pa itong mga kaso na maihahain laban sa mga tao sa likod nito,” Ty said.

(What we want to say in conclusion is that this is just the first step in the case against Lucky South 99, right? There are still many more cases that can be filed against the people behind this.)

He said they are also seeking the forfeiture of the POGO hub.

“Isa pa yan sa mga panibagong kaso na ihahain natin. Ito ‘yung criminal at civil forfeiture ng mga assets na ginagamit. Syempre, kasama na doon ‘yung napakalaking compound ng Porac,” he said.

(That is another case that we will file. This involves the criminal and civil forfeiture of the assets being used. Of course, this includes the very large compound in Porac.)

According to Ty, those found guilty of qualified trafficking may face life imprisonment.  

Aside from the new complaint, Ong is also a respondent in the money laundering complaint filed against Alice Guo and others at the DOJ.

In August, Indonesian authorities apprehended Ong and Shiela Guo, the purported sister of Alice Guo, at Batam.

Ong is currently under the custody of the House of Representatives.

In June, the PAOCC and the PNP-CIDG also filed a human trafficking complaint against dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo and others over the raided POGO hub in her locality.

The complaint has been submitted for resolution.

Guo, for her part, has asked the DOJ to dismiss the complaint against her.

Aside from this, Guo is also facing 87 counts of money laundering at the DOJ.

On Monday, authorities filed 32 boxes of supporting documents at the DOJ on the  money laundering complaint filed against Guo and others. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News