Katherine Cassandra Ong, incorporator of Whirlwind Corp., attends the hearing of the Senate committee on women on Tuesday, September 24 2024. Noy Morcoso/INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Whirlwind Corporation stakeholder Katherine Cassandra Ong has been cited for contempt again for failing to submit documents needed by the House of Representatives’ quad committee.
During the quad committee hearing that started on Tuesday and lapsed to Wednesday, Abang Lingkod party-list Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano made the motion to cite Ong for contempt after the committee was informed that the previous order would last just until Thursday, October 24.
“We are in receipt of a copy of a letter coming from […] the CIW (Correctional Institute for Women) in which Katherine Cassandra Li Ong is detained. And the content of the letter, Mr. Chairman, is that the CIW is informing this committee that the contempt order for Ms. Cassandra Li Ong will last on October 24, this Thursday,” Paduano said.
READ: Cassandra Ong: Top boss at Whirlwind an ex-Chinese cop
“I move to cite in contempt once again Ms. Cassandra Li Ong for refusal to submit pertinent documents being required by this Honorable committee. So moved, Mr. Chairman,” he added.
Quad committee lead presiding officer and Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Robert Ace Barbers approved the motion after it was duly seconded.
Initially, the lawmakers wanted to extend the contempt order’s duration but opted to just cite her for contempt once again, with a detention order that would last up to the time that Ong provided the documents.
In previous quad committee hearings, lawmakers asked that Ong submit her bank records and other documents pertaining to her line of work at Whirlwind Corporation, where she holds a 58 percent share. However, Ong said that she could not access her documents as they were on a phone confiscated by authorities.
Whirlwind is the company that leased land in Porac, Pampanga to Lucky South 99, a Philippine offshore gaming operator (Pogo). Lucky South 99 is the Pogo hub that was raided last June 4 due to human trafficking issues.
READ: Contempt order vs Ong lifted after answering solons’ queries
Lawmakers believe Whirlwind and Lucky South 99 operate as one firm — a theory that was bolstered by Ong’s admission that she worked for both companies.
Last September 19, during the sixth quad-committee hearing, Ong was cited for contempt again as she continued to give evasive answers when lawmakers asked her about different issues, like her educational background.
The contempt order issued against Ong last September 19 is the third one; the second order was withdrawn after she cooperated with the quad committee, while the first contempt order was handed down after Ong skipped the first hearing.
This means the contempt order handed down early Wednesday morning is the fourth.
Lawmakers believe Ong is an important resource person for the quad committee’s probe on Pogos. Last September 4, Ong admitted that Whirlwind’s top boss, a certain Duanren Wu who happens to be her godfather, is a former Chinese cop.