The camp of Cassandra Li Ong, the authorized representative of the Lucky South 99 POGO firm in Porac, on Tuesday said they are hopeful that she will be released by the House of Representatives on humanitarian grounds.
Ong’s lawyer, Ferdinand Topacio, said she has been detained by the House Quad Committee (QuadComm) for three months.
“Tignan natin baka naman may ounce of decency left dito sa mga taong ito at i-release naman siya for humanitarian reasons. We are just hoping merong konting humanity pa itong mga taong ito,” Topacio said in a briefing.
(We will see if these people have an ounce of decency left and she will be released for humanitarian reasons. We are just hoping that they have a little bit of humanity left.)
He issued the remark when asked if they will move for Ong’s release.
Topacio said they will look into the matter.
“We still would like to give the QuadComm the benefit of the doubt, pero kung talagang hindi na sila tao, then we would have to do what we would have to do,” he said.
(We still would like to give the QuadComm the benefit of the doubt, but if they really are no longer human, then we would have to do what we would have to do.)
Ong was first cited in contempt by the House Quad Committee (QuadComm) in August. She was again cited in contempt in September for refusing to answer questions.
GMA News Online has sought QuadComm Lead Chairperson Ace Barbers of Surigao del Norte for comment but has yet to receive a response as of posting time.
Topacio said that Ong’s initial detention is also illegal.
Ong was temporarily detained at the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) after she and Shiela Guo, the purported sister of former Bamban Mayor Alice Guo, were intercepted in Indonesia in August.
“And her initial detention is illegal dahil she left the country legally. Nung umalis siya wala pang contempt charge. Nung kinuha siya sa Indonesia, binalik siya dito, walang case against her. Bakit siya kinuha ng NBI?” Topacio said.
(And her initial detention is illegal since she left the country legally. Shen she left there was still no contempt charge. When they took her from Indonesia, she was returned here, there is no case against her. Why did the NBI take her?)
She was later transferred to the House of Representatives. Following her second contempt order, Ong was transferred to the Correctional Institution for Women.
Ong is facing a qualified trafficking and money laundering complaint before the Department of Justice. She sought the dismissal of both complaints. —RF, GMA Integrated News
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