Katherine Cassandra Ong, an incorporator of Whirlwind Company, was offered earlier than the Home of Representatives’ quad-committee to listen to her facet relating to points surrounding the Pogo hub in Porac, Pampanga. Whirlwind solely leased land to Pogo hub operator Fortunate South 99, however a number of lawmakers consider that Ong is probably concerned in each corporations. —Picture from the Home of Representatives media bureau
MANILA, Philippines — The Division of Justice filed legal costs in opposition to Cassandra Li Ong and Shiela Guo, supposed sister of dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo, within the Pasay Regional Trial Court docket, Justice Undersecretary Raul Vasquez confirmed on Wednesday.
Shiela, often known as Zhang Mier, was charged with disobedience to summons issued by the Senate in violation of Article 150 of the Revised Penal Code (RPC) and for utilizing a faux Philippine passport in violation of Republic Act No. 11983, or the Philippine Passport Act.
Ong, the licensed consultant of the raided Philippine offshore gaming operator (Pogo) hub Fortunate South 99 in Porac, Pampanga, was likewise charged with violating Article 150 of the RPC, however for disobedience to the summons issued by the Home of Representatives.
READ: Contempt order vs Ong lifted after answering solons’ querries
Second offense
On prime of this, one other cost of obstruction of justice for allegedly harboring, concealing or facilitating the escape of a legal offender, in violation of Part 1(c) of Presidential Decree No. 1829, was filed in opposition to her.
On Wednesday, the Home of Representatives’ quad committee cited Ong in contempt a second time for once more refusing to reply questions from lawmakers. Throughout her first quotation on Aug. 26, she was positioned within the decrease chamber’s detention facility.
The movement was made by Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. as lawmakers additionally expressed irritation at her lawyer, Ferdinand Topacio, whom they accused of teaching Ong into stonewalling the probe.
1-Rider Rep. Ramon Rodrigo Gutierrez and Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong requested that Ong be given an opportunity to clarify as a result of it will be the primary time {that a} useful resource particular person would ever be cited for contempt twice throughout the identical investigation.
“It’s her proper to stay silent. Cite her (for) contempt in case you should. However to threaten, to scare, to bully anybody to surrender the fitting to stay silent and in opposition to self-incrimination, we won’t take that sitting down,” Topacio stated.
The supercommittee’s lead chair, Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, authorised the quotation for contempt and ordered that Ong be detained on the Correctional Establishment for Girls in Mandaluyong Metropolis till the panel comes out with its report.
Earlier this week, Shiela testified earlier than the Senate about how she, Alice Guo and her brother Wesley fled the nation within the first week of July.
Shiela claimed on the Senate that she is a Chinese language nationwide who illegally acquired Philippine citizenship and that she was truly born in China.
In keeping with her, they boarded three totally different boats, together with a fishing vessel, earlier than they made it to Sabah, Malaysia, on July 18 after which flew to Singapore.
‘Unimaginable testimony’
From the city-state, she stated their group rode a ferry to Batam, Indonesia, the place they have been arrested by immigration authorities on Aug. 22.
However Justice Secretary Crispin Remulla stated he discovered Shiela’s account of the occasions laborious to consider.
“Now we have an issue with the reliability of what she was saying. She’s not a dependable witness to date,” Remulla stated. “I don’t consider Shiela Guo. I don’t consider what she is saying.”
Throughout a Senate listening to on the Division of Justice’s (DOJ) 2025 finances, Justice Undersecretary Nicholas Felix Ty stated Remulla directed him to work with the Nationwide Bureau of Investigation in checking the veracity of Shiela’s claims.
Ty likewise stated the DOJ was wanting into Sen. Risa Hontiveros’ declare that Alice Guo and her siblings paid P200 million in bribes to depart the nation.
The Philippine Coast Guard has additionally began investigating the supposed escape route.
However Cmdr. Euphraim Jayson Diciano, chief of the PCG Zambales station, stated that whereas it was potential, it was unlikely contemplating the distances concerned, the provisions wanted and the vessel’s means to face up to the southwest monsoon (habagat).
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Nonetheless, he acknowledged that “with the fitting sources, alternative, and robust intent, it’s totally potential to depart, given the nation’s porous borders and restricted monitoring tools. That’s the unhappy actuality.”
