The House of Representatives' "quad comm" cited Cassandra Ong in contempt on August 16, 2024, during a hearing in Pampanga, and ordered her detained for 30 days1. Ong, also known as Cassy Ong or Cassy Li, is tied to the Lucky South 99 POGO in Porac, Pampanga1.
Surigao del Sur 2nd District Representative Johnny Pimentel moved for the contempt order over Ong's failure to attend legislative inquiries, and the panel approved it immediately1. Pimentel noted that the House panel on public order had already issued a show-cause order against Ong for her absence at a July 31 hearing1. House panel on public accounts chairperson and Abang Lingkod Representative Joseph Paduano then moved to detain Ong within the House premises for 30 days, which the mega-panel also approved1. As of June, the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission said it was still looking for Ong1.
The panel was formed earlier in August 2024 to probe links among illegal POGOs, Chinese syndicates, the illegal drug trade and extrajudicial killings1. It is composed of the House panels on dangerous drugs, human rights, public accounts, and public order and safety, which had previously investigated the issues separately1.
"The House mega-panel has been formed earlier this month to probe the links among illegal POGOs, Chinese syndicates, illegal drug trade, and extrajudicial killings in the country"
Ong applied for the POGO's Letter of No Objection with Porac city hall, according to Rappler1. The LONO is a requirement by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation for establishing a gaming site in the country, such as a POGO1. Ong also recruited former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque to act as lawyer for Whirlwind Corporation, the real estate firm that leased land to Lucky South1. Authorities said in June that Lucky South 99's POGO hubs were hotbeds for human trafficking, forced labor and various scam activities1.
At the same hearing, Lucky South 99 corporate secretary Ronelyn Baterna said she was "used" by Chinese nationals to issue checks on behalf of the POGO, and said Ong was behind the transaction1. Baterna had been cited in contempt and ordered detained for 30 days at a hearing the previous week1. She said she was an employee asked by her company's human resource officer to become Lucky South's corporate secretary in 2022, and accepted because her salary would rise from P17,000 to P23,000 a month1. On August 16 she agreed to sign a waiver of bank secrecy, allowing the panel to review her bank transactions1. The bank secrecy law, passed in the 1950s, prohibits disclosure of or inquiry into deposits with any banking institution, with exceptions including when the depositor signs a waiver, impeachment cases, or court orders in cases of bribery or dereliction of duty by public officials1.
What it means for players
The Philippines has moved to ban offshore gaming operators, and the House inquiry is examining how illegal POGOs were licensed and run. For anyone gambling in the country, the practical effect is that the legal status of offshore operators is unsettled while these hearings continue, and the panel's findings concern sites that authorities have linked to trafficking, forced labor and scam operations1. People who use online platforms should be aware of the risks described in our guide to gambling scams and safety in Asia, which covers fake sites, rigged games and scam compounds. The wider question of what is legal for residents and visitors is set out in our guide to gambling in the Philippines.
What happens next
The contempt order against Ong carries an arrest order to detain her, and the panel has ordered her held within the House premises for 30 days1. The quad comm is continuing its inquiry into the links among illegal POGOs, Chinese syndicates, the drug trade and extrajudicial killings1. No further hearing dates have been reported.
