Hontiveros to gov't: Cancel Cassandra Ong's passport, bring her back to PH

Senate Deputy Majority Leader Risa Hontiveros on Saturday urged authorities to bring Cassandra Li Ong, the documented representative of controversial Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) Lucky South 99, back to the country after authorities reported her last tracked location in Japan.

"Hindi puwedeng walang pananagutan si Cassie Li Ong. Human trafficking ang kaso niya, hindi ito minor traffic violation na puwedeng palampasin," Hontiveros said.

(Cassie Li Ong should not be allowed to go scot-free. She has a human trafficking case, not a minor traffic violation which can be shrugged off.)

"Maliban sa Interpol red notice, dapat na ring kanselahin ng gubyerno ang passport ni Cassie Ong at iba pa niyang kasabwat. Hindi siya turista," the senator said.

(Aside from an Interpol red notice, the government should also cancel the passport of Cassie Ong and her conspirators. She's not a tourist.)

The lawmaker issued the statement after Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) spokesperson Winston Casio revealed that Ong was last tracked in Japan following her release from detention at the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong City. 

"Our law enforcers should also be actively coordinating with their international counterparts," Hontiveros said.

"Bring Cassie back to our country and make her face justice. Hindi siya dapat makalusot (She should not escape)," she added.

Ong has an active warrant of arrest issued by the Pampanga Regional Trial Court (RTC) in May for qualified human trafficking in relation to the alleged scam hub operations of Lucky South 99.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian told a Senate panel that Ong has been released from detention from the CIW and was now "at large."

The House Quad Committee probing POGO-linked crimes cited Ong in contempt for the second time in September last year.

A week later on September 26, she was transferred to the CIW after the QuadCom approved the motion for her detention there.

Casio explained that Ong was in detention "on the basis of a contempt order by the Quadcom," but when the "lifespan of the 19th Congress has already ended, she can longer be detained because the authority of the Congress which cited her in contempt is already over."

"So they are duty-bound to release her, otherwise, they could be charged with arbitrary detention or any other violation of Cassie Li Ong's rights… Because there was no arrest warrant yet at that time, it was sometime in December, when she was released by Quadcom," the PAOCC official said.

The Pampanga RTC-Branch 118 issued warrants of arrest last May against Ong and others for qualified human trafficking over Lucky South 99's alleged illegal activities.

In July, the Court of Appeals (CA) dismissed the petition filed by Ong against the Department of Justice (DOJ) resolution that indicted her for qualified human trafficking. — VDV, GMA Integrated News