Wikipedia

Cassandra Ong

In this Philippine name, the middle name or maternal family name is Li and the surname or paternal family name is Ong.

Katherine Cassandra Li Ong (born May 23, 2000), also nicknamed Cassy Li,[2] is a Filipino[3] businesswoman who was an associate of Lucky South 99 Outsourcing, Inc., a defunct Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) in Porac, Pampanga, that has been investigated by authorities for criminal activities committed within its compound. She acted as the "authorized representative" of the company when acquiring its operating license from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) in 2019.

Cassandra Ong
A woman seated in front of a microphone.
Ong in 2024
Born
Katherine Cassandra Li Ong

(2000-05-23) May 23, 2000 (age 24)[1]
San Juan, Philippines
CitizenshipFilipino
OccupationBusinesswoman
Parents
  • Richard Ong Chao (father)
  • Ying Xia Li (mother)

On August 20, 2024, she was apprehended by authorities in Batam, Riau Islands, Indonesia, and was thereafter brought back to the Philippines.

Early life

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Katherine Cassandra Li Ong as per records was born on May 23, 2000, in San Juan, Metro Manila to Chinese parents Richard Ong Chao and Ying Xia Li.[4][5] Richard Ong Chao sought Filipino citizenship via naturalization in 1978.[4]

According to Cassandra, she was delivered by a hilot after which she was brought to the Chinese General Hospital in Manila. Irregularities were found about the listed address in her birth certificate, particularly the house number which Senator and former San Juan Mayor Jinggoy Estrada insist to be non-existent.[6][7][8]

During a July 2024 hearing by the House Committee on Public Order and Safety, Undersecretary Gilbert Cruz of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) informed the committee that Ong was not a true Filipino citizen based on the evidence they gathered, with her parents availing a late registration of birth for her in 2001.[5] However, PAOCC spokesperson Winston Casio corrected the conclusion a month later and stated that her Filipino citizenship is authentic.[3] Her actual date of birth is unclear, with PAOCC determining it to be around the late 1980s to early 1990s.[1]

Education

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Ong's educational background is also disputed. During the House quad-committee hearing on September 19, 2024, she claimed to have studied at Manila Patriotic School in Santa Cruz, Manila but did not finish her elementary education. She also denied attending high school in China or elsewhere, despite being shown a photo of herself in a graduation toga, which she attributed to her participation in the Department of Education’s Alternative Learning System (ALS). Ong insisted that she only attended a few sessions of ALS and expressed uncertainty about her registration.[9]

Early business career

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Ong previously owned a milk tea shop in San Juan, Metro Manila, before moving to Pampanga around 2019 or 2020. There, she opened a pet-friendly aesthetic center and is rumored to own a café restaurant and resort in Angeles City.[7]

Activities with Lucky South 99

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Ong is an incorporator of the real estate firm Whirlwind Corp., of which she owned 58% of its shares.[5] The firm leased a 10-hectare (25-acre) land within the Grand Palazzo Royale in Porac, Pampanga to the POGO company Lucky South 99 Outsourcing, Inc. (formerly called Xinsheng IT Start-Up).[10][11] Ong sent a letter of no objection (LONO) to the municipal hall of Porac to permit the operation of Lucky South 99, which was approved in November 2019.[11] A license to operate was granted to Lucky South 99 by PAGCOR in 2020, which was valid until October 2023.[12]

Whirlwind hired former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque as a lawyer,[10] with Roque accompanying Ong in visiting PAGCOR on July 26, 2023, to assist in settling Lucky South 99's arrears to PAGCOR.[13][14] He also acted on the sole behalf of Ong in his multiple calls to a PAGCOR executive to inquire about the remaining necessary documents to be filed for Lucky South 99.[13] According to Roque, Ong became Whirlwind's Corporate Secretary in September 2023, and in the same month had him accompany her in reapplying Lucky South 99 for an Internet Gaming License (IGL) from PAGCOR.[14] By May 22, 2024, PAGCOR sent a letter to Ong denying the IGL application due to alleged illegal activities that occurred in the establishment in 2022.[15]

In early June 2024, police authorities from various organizations arrived at Lucky South 99 to rescue the remaining victims within the compound despite a limited search warrant.[16]

Ong is listed as the owner of a lavish mansion in a 2.2-hectare (5.4-acre) compound in Porac, which was raided by police on July 6, 2024.[17][18][1]

Post-closure

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On August 1, 2024, PAGCOR Chairman Alejandro Tengco revealed that Ong had fled to Singapore, according to information received by police authorities.[19]

On August 9, 2024, three people separately filed charges against 13 officers of Lucky South 99, including Ong, for identity theft and falsification of documents due to the inclusion of the petitioners' names in corporate documents without their knowledge. On August 16, four committees of the House of Representatives (i.e., Dangerous Drugs, Public Order and Safety, Human Rights, and Public Accounts) together issued a contempt order against Ong for failing to attend their legislative inquiries.[20] She was cited in contempt once again by the committee on September 20 for "lying" and ordered detained at the Correctional Institute for Women in Mandaluyong for 30 days beginning on September 26.[21]

By August 20, Ong was captured alongside Shiela Guo at Mega Mall Batam Center in Batam, Indonesia by local authorities, and subsequently placed in the custody of the Directorate General of Immigration.[22][23] Two days later, they were brought back to the Philippines to be placed in the custody of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).[24]

On August 30, the Anti-Money Laundering Council, Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission, and the National Bureau of Investigation filed a money laundering case against Ong, Alice Guo, and 32 others before the Department of Justice (DOJ).[25] On September 10, Ong and 51 others were charged with qualified human trafficking at the DOJ for their alleged involvement in the Lucky South 99 POGO operations.[26] On October 29, Harry Roque was included as co-respondent by the PAOCC and the PNP-CIDG in the non-bailable qualified Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003 case.[27]

Personal life

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Ong's boyfriend is Wesley Guo, brother of Alice Guo, a former mayor of Bamban, Tarlac who was dismissed from the position by the Ombudsman for "grave misconduct" over another case involving POGOs.[2]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Esguerra, Christian (July 14, 2024). Ano ang koneksyon ni Cassandra Ong sa helicopter ni Alice Guo, ayon sa PAOCC?. YouTube (in Filipino and English). Google LLC. Event occurs at 3:25, 4:52. Archived from the original on August 22, 2024. Retrieved August 16, 2024. Christian, you remember over the weekend, the provincial government of Pampanga[...] raided a mansion? [...] Alam mo kung sino may ari no'n? Cassy Li.
  2. ^ a b Villeza, Mark Ernest (July 8, 2024). "NBI raids alleged POGO-owned clinic". Philstar.com. Manila, Philippines: Philstar Global Corp. Archived from the original on August 21, 2024. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  3. ^ a b Esguerra, Christian (August 20, 2024). PAOCC confirms: Alice Guo nakalabas na ng Pilipinas!. YouTube. Google LLC. Event occurs at 15:19. Retrieved August 22, 2024. Ah, si Cassy Li Ong! She is a Filipino. Na-reconfirm na po namin na Filipino po talaga siya.
  4. ^ a b Buan, Lian (August 29, 2024). "Who is Cassandra Ong, the 24-year-old linked to the Bamban, Porac POGOs?". Rappler. Archived from the original on September 12, 2024. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c Lalu, Gabriel Pabico (July 23, 2024). "PAOCC: Woman linked to Porac Pogo may also be a Chinese national". Inquirer News. Manila, Philippines: INQUIRER.net. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  6. ^ Mangaluz, Jean (September 17, 2024). "Cassandra Ong's birth certificate questionable as well, says Estrada". The Philippine Star. Retrieved September 19, 2024.
  7. ^ a b Buan, Lian; Manabat, Joann (August 29, 2024). "Who is Cassandra Ong, the 24-year-old linked to the Bamban, Porac POGOs?". Rappler. Archived from the original on September 5, 2024. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  8. ^ Locus, Sundy (September 17, 2024). "Jinggoy: Birthplace in Cassandra Ong's birth certificate non-existent". GMA News. Archived from the original on September 19, 2024. Retrieved September 19, 2024.
  9. ^ Lalu, Gabriel Pabico (September 19, 2024). "Cassandra Ong insists she didn't graduate despite grad photos". INQUIRER.net. Archived from the original on September 20, 2024. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
  10. ^ a b Buan, Lian (July 29, 2024). "Chinese fugitive caught in Benguet house linked to Harry Roque". Rappler. Manila, Philippines: Rappler Inc. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  11. ^ a b Buan, Lian (June 12, 2024). "A shady POGO rises fast, law enforcers scramble to pin it down". Rappler. Rappler Inc. Archived from the original on June 13, 2024. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  12. ^ Ferreras, Vince (June 22, 2024). "Only 1 of 46 buildings inside Porac POGO hub licensed to operate —PAGCOR". GMA News Online. GMA Network. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  13. ^ a b Buan, Lian (August 2, 2024). "House probe: Roque 'effectively' lawyered for POGO". Rappler. Rappler Inc. Archived from the original on August 9, 2024. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  14. ^ a b Villarue, Jauhn Etienne (July 10, 2024). "Senate panel to summon Harry Roque over alleged links to Porac POGO". ABS-CBN News. Manila: ABS-CBN Corporation. Archived from the original on August 22, 2024. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  15. ^ Manabat, Joann (June 11, 2024). "Suspected Chinese military uniforms found in Porac POGO". Rappler. Pampanga, Philippines: Rappler Inc. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  16. ^ News5Everywhere (June 6, 2024). Raid sa Lucky South 99, naudlot dahil sa warrant | #TedFailonandDJChaCha. YouTube (in Filipino and English). Google LLC. Retrieved August 22, 2024.{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  17. ^ Rappler.com (July 10, 2024). "LOOK: Police inspect mansions, villas allegedly owned by Porac POGO 'big bosses'". Rappler. Manila, Philippines: Rappler Inc. Archived from the original on August 22, 2024. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  18. ^ Manabat, Joann (July 7, 2024). "Authorities raid alleged private residence of Porac POGO 'big bosses'". Rappler. Pampanga, Philippines: Rappler Inc. Archived from the original on August 22, 2024. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  19. ^ Locus, Sundy (August 1, 2024). "PAGCOR's Tengco: Police said Cassandra Li Ong in Singapore". GMA News Online. GMA Network. Archived from the original on August 22, 2024. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  20. ^ Bolledo, Jairo (August 16, 2024). "House mega-panel cites Cassandra Ong, tied to Porac POGO, in contempt". Rappler. Manila, Philippines: Rappler Inc. Archived from the original on August 17, 2024. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  21. ^ Manahan, Job; Cheng, Willard (September 20, 2024). "Cassandra Ong cited in contempt anew, ordered detained for 30 days". ABs-CBN News. Archived from the original on September 20, 2024. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
  22. ^ Villaruel, Jauhn Etienne (August 22, 2024). "How Indonesian authorities busted Alice Guo's sister, alleged cohort". ABS-CBN News. ABS-CBN Corporation. Archived from the original on August 22, 2024. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
  23. ^ Bolledo, Jairo (August 22, 2024). "Alice Guo's cohort Cassandra Ong, sister now under Indonesian custody". Rappler. Manila, Philippines: Rappler Inc. Archived from the original on August 22, 2024. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
  24. ^ Peralta-Malonzo, Third Anne (August 22, 2024). "NBI to take custody of Sheila Guo, Ong". SunStar. SunStar Publishing Inc. Archived from the original on August 23, 2024. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  25. ^ Buan, Lian (August 30, 2024). "Money laundering suit filed vs Alice Guo, Cassandra Ong, 32 others". Rappler. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  26. ^ Cabato, Luisa (September 10, 2024). "Cassandra Ong, 51 others charged with qualified human trafficking". INQUIRER.net. Archived from the original on September 11, 2024. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  27. ^ "Roque set to file counter affidavit vs human trafficking case". Philippine Daily Inquirer. October 29, 2024. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
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