The House quad committee has asserted that the transfer of Whirlwind Corporation stakeholder Cassandra Li Ong is legal and strictly compliant with the protocols despite the latter's lawyer's claims that it breached certain laws.
According to Ong's legal counsel, Atty. Ferdinand Topacio, the former's transfer from the House premises to the Correctional Institute for Women in Mandaluyong City violated the constitutional presumption of innocence, among others, 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 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 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, raided earlier this year over allegations of unlawful activities, such as torture and scam.
She is also an incorporator of Whirlwind—a 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 claiming that she had difficulty remembering the name of the public school where she allegedly enrolled for the Alternative Learning System in 2016 or 2017.
Ong was transferred to CIW on Thursday after her initial 30-day contempt penalty had expired.
Topacio lamented that "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."
The quad comm, chaired by Surigao del Norte Rep. Ace Barbers, deemed it "baseless." It emphasized that the ongoing probe into illegal POGO is not 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 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 qualified human trafficking charge, a non-bailable offense.