Barbers: House to grant Cassandra Ong’s request to be jailed if she refuses to cooperate in POGO probe

The four House joint committees will grant Cassandra Li Ong’s request to be detained in prison if she continues to refuse to cooperate in the investigation of illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGO) in the country, according to Surigao del Norte 2nd District Representative Robert Ace Barbers.

“Dahil sinabi niya na gusto niyang ma-detain sa kulungan kaysa sa detention facility ng Kamara, ibibigay namin sa kanya 'yun. Kung hindi ka (Ong) rin makakapagbigay sa amin ng inpormasyon tungkol sa usapin sa illegal POGO,” Barbers, the overall chairman of the House of Representatives quad committee,” said Sunday in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB.

(Since she said she wants to be detained in jail rather than the detention facility of the House of Representatives, we will give her that, since Ong cannot give information on the issue of illegal POGO.)

The House is investigating Lucky South 99’s alleged link to illegal operations in the raided POGO hub in Porac, Pampanga. Ong was the company's authorized representative in the country.

According to Ong’s lawyer, Atty. Ferdinand Topacio, his client would prefer to be detained in prison than proceed with the Senate probe into the escape of dismissed Bamban Mayor Alice Guo and experience further shaming. 

Ong skipped the Senate hearing on Guo’s supposed escape citing her medical condition, claiming she had low blood sugar and blood pressure.

She also filed a petition for certiorari, asking the Supreme Court to direct Congress to honor her right to remain silent and right against self-incrimination during hearings into POGO-related crimes. 

In August, Ong was flown back to the Philippines with the dismissed mayor’s supposed sister, Shiela Guo, after they were intercepted in Indonesia. —Mariel Celine Serquiña/RF, GMA Integrated News