Shiela Guo, Cassandra Ong turned over to Congress

MANILA, Philippines — The companions of dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo were transferred to congressional custody on Monday after initially being held by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

Cassandra Ong, an incorporator of a Porac, Pampanga-based illegally operating offshore gaming firm, or POGO, will be placed under the custody of the House of Representatives, while Shiela Leal Guo, the sister of the dismissed mayor, will be handed over to the Senate.

The House had previously ordered Ong’s detention after she was cited for contempt due to her repeated failure to attend the investigation into POGO-related crimes.

Shiela, like Alice, was among those ordered arrested by the Senate in July for failing to comply with summonses to appear at public hearings on POGO activities.

On August 22, Shiela and Ong were apprehended by Indonesian immigration authorities following reports that Alice, who is under investigation for alleged POGO-related crimes, had fled the country.

Ong’s lawyer, Ferdinand Topacio, said she will be facing charges of obstruction of justice and possibly harboring a fugitive.

Shiela Guo is facing charges for violating the Immigration Act by illegally obtaining a Philippine passport, according to Justice Undersecretary Nicholas Ty.

Dragging Marcos and First Lady Liza

At a press conference on Monday, Topacio presented a photo of Ong alongside President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos.

He alleged that the photo serves as a “clue” to the reasons behind the sudden crackdown on POGO operations. He did not elaborate on his claim.

“This is an authentic picture where Liza Marcos is leaning on Cassie Lee Ong,” Topacio claimed, adding that Ong confirmed the image’s authenticity.

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Preparing counter charges

Topacio said his client intends to file arbitrary detention charges before the Office of the Ombudsman against the officials responsible for Ong’s detention at the NBI.

The lawyer argued that the government has no legal basis to detain Ong, as there is no arrest warrant issued against her.

Under Article 124 of the Revised Penal Code, arbitrary detention is an act committed by a public officer or employee who, without legal grounds, detains a person or deprives them of their liberty.