Katherine Cassandra Ong, incorporator of Whirlwind Corp., turns emotional as she mentions her mom’s death during the hearing of the Senate committee on women on September 24, 2024. (Screengrab from Senate’s YouTube channel)
MANILA, Philippines — Cassandra Li Ong, a key witness in the congressional probe into illegal offshore gaming (IGL) companies, was transferred to the Correctional Institute for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong City, a House of Representatives official said on Thursday.
House secretary general Reginald Velasco said Ong was transferred to the facility on Wednesday, nearly a week after she was cited in contempt anew for supposedly evading questions.
READ: Cassandra Ong cited for contempt again for refusing to answer at hearing
But Ong is still expected to appear for tomorrow’s seventh joint hearing of four House committees, or quad comm, Velasco said.
Ong’s lawyer, Ferdinand Topacio, questioned the legality of the transfer even after he initially said his client preferred to go to jail rather than testify in the quad committee hearing.
“She said, ‘If you want to put me in jail, fine, even if that means the women’s correctional. I’ll accept it,’” Topacio told reporters on Sept. 7.
Contradicting statement
But on Thursday, Topacio said Congress had no power to imprison a resource person in a congressional investigation.
He cited the decision of the Supreme Court in the consolidated cases of Linconn Uy Ong and Michael Yang Hong Ming who disputed the Senate’s congressional warrant in its investigation of the 2020 procurement scandal involving Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp.
“It is deplorable that some House members have degenerated into monsters in their conduct of legislative investigations to the extent of exerting extra efforts to make life miserable for persons who do not conform to their prefabricated narrative,” Topacio said.
Topacio’s claim
He claimed that the quad comm applied “pressure” to place Ong with convicted prisoners, although he did not name names nor present evidence.
Ong was sent to the CIW after she refused to answer lawmakers’ questions about her assets and educational background, and for lying about having a pending money laundering case.
READ: ‘Saan nanggaling yung pera mo?’ Ong quizzed over Whirlwind stake
READ: Fernandez: Cassandra Ong reneged on bank secrecy waiver, exec session
This is the second time lawmakers cited her in contempt. The first was on Aug. 29, when she initially tried to invoke her right not to incriminate herself.
She was supposed to be detained at the CIW at the time, but the quad committee gave her a second chance to cooperate so she could be held at the House detention facilities instead.