MANILA, Philippines – Cassandra Li Ong, the young woman being questioned by lawmakers over her ties to a raided Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) in Pampanga, would rather go to jail than appear in legislative probes as she does not want to “be shamed” in public anymore, her lawyers said on Saturday, September 7.
Ong spoke through her lawyer Ferdinand Topacio at a media forum at the Kamuning Bakery Cafe in Quezon City, appealing to the Senate to allow her to be excused from the next hearing on Monday, September 9.
“Hindi na po kaya ni Ms. Cassandra Li Ong. Kung gusto ‘nyong ikulong, kulong ‘nyo na po, sabi niya. ‘Kahit sa women’s correctional, tatanggapin ko na, huwag lang akong pahiyain ‘nyo sa harap ng milyon-milyong mga tao.’ She does not want to testify,” said Topacio.
(Ms. Cassandra Li Ong can no longer take it. If you want to send her to jail, send her to jail, she said. “Even in the Correctional Institution for Women, I will take it – just don’t publicly shame me in front of millions of people.”)
Ong was excused from her last hearing in the House of Representatives on Wednesday, September 4, and left in a wheelchair because of low blood pressure and low blood sugar. She is confined in a hospital up until posting time and has been having multiple mental breakdowns, Topacio’s associate and Ong’s other counsel Raph Andrada said.
Andrada said that it is “hard to say” what kind of mental disorder Ong may be experiencing, but “what we can say for certain is that the entire experience has certainly been traumatic.”
“Because of this trauma, she’s been experiencing several breakdowns. In fact, when I visited her last night and gave her updates on the status of her cases, and she had another breakdown. And I [was] informed that this morning she received some more documents in relation to the proceedings…. But I was informed that she once again had another breakdown,” said Andrada.
Topacio appealed to Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros, who is leading the probe in the Senate as chairperson of the committee on women, as well as other lawmakers to recognize Ong’s plight.
“Ipakulong ‘nyo na po. Kung kakasuhan, kasuhan na po natin. Pero ‘wag na po sana itong dramang ito. Kawawa po ‘yung bata (Just send her to jail instead. If we’ll file a case against her, let’s do it. But let’s stop subjecting her to this drama. I feel pity for her),” said Topacio.
Ong has denied being a dummy or an operator for the raided POGO in Porac, Pampanga named Lucky South 99, despite being named as its representative in numerous documents. She maintained that she was only a majority stockholder of Whirlwind, the real estate company that leased its compound to the POGO.
Ong is among the 34 people named in a money laundering complaint, along with dismissed Bamban mayor Alice Guo.
Ong and Shiela Guo, the sister of Alice Guo, were apprehended in Indonesia and brought back to the Philippines in August. Ong told House lawmakers that her boyfriend is Alice’s brother Wesley, but that she was not close to Alice, who similarly has ties to a raided POGO in her town.
Alice Guo, who was also arrested in Indonesia on September 4, also earlier used mental health, particularly “stress” and “trauma” to try and excuse herself from Senate probes. When Philippine authorities came to fetch her from Indonesia, she told Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos that she was receiving death threats.
Now back in the Philippines and under Philippine National Police custody, Guo is expected to testify at the Senate hearing on Monday. – Rappler.com
