House insists: Ong transfer legal, compliant

The House quad committee has asserted that the transfer of Whirlwind Corporation stakeholder Cassandra Li Ong is legal and strictly compliant with protocols despite her lawyer’s claim that it breached certain laws.

According to Ong’s legal counsel, Ferdinand Topacio, her transfer from the House premises to the Correctional Institute for Women in Mandaluyong City violated the constitutional presumption of innocence, among other things, for having her “mingling with convicted prisoners” considering that Ong has not been convicted.

In a joint statement on Friday, the quad comm — composed of four House panels — refuted Topacio’s allegations.

“We want to make it clear: Ms. Ong’s transfer to the Correctional Institute for Women is legal. The quad comm has followed all the necessary protocols, and the decision is rooted in the rule of law,” the joint statement read.

“Her lawyers were the ones who said that Cassy Ong would prefer to be detained in a prison cell rather than in Congress. Cassy should blame her lawyers for putting her in this uncomfortable position,” it added.

Ong was the authorized representative of Lucky South 99 Corp., an illegal POGO firm in Porac, Pampanga, that was raided earlier this year over allegations of unlawful activities, such as torture and scams.

She was also an incorporator of Whirlwind — the firm that leased land to Lucky South 99 — owning at least a 58-percent stake.

The quad comm cited her in contempt — for the second time on 20 September — after she claimed to have difficulty remembering the name of the public school she had enrolled at for the Alternative Learning System in 2016 or 2017.

Ong was transferred to the CIW on Thursday after her initial 30-day contempt penalty had expired.

“Some House members have degenerated into monsters in their conduct of legislative investigations to the extent of exerting extra efforts to make life miserable for persons who do not conform to their prefabricated narrative,” Topacio said.

The quad comm, chaired by Surigao del Norte Rep. Ace Barbers, deemed his statement “baseless.” It emphasized that the ongoing probe into illegal POGOs was not being conducted to manipulate the outcome but to seek the truth and uphold justice.

“We cannot allow the narrative to shift away from the truth. All of the proceedings have been open and were conducted with transparency. Ms. Ong, like anyone else, deserves her day in court,” the panel said.

Nevertheless, they assured that Ong’s well-being is a priority and that the authorities have ensured that her transfer was conducted safely and with respect for her rights.

The 24-year-old Ong, along with 51 others, faces a qualified human trafficking charge, a non-bailable offense.