MANILA – Two co-chairs of the House Quad Committee suspect that Cassandra Ong, the authorized representative of Lucky South 99, is acting as a business “dummy.”
Ong, who testified during last Wednesday’s Quad Comm hearing, denied the accusation, claiming she is merely an investor in Whirlwind, the real estate company that leased property to Lucky South 99’s illegal POGO operations in Porac, Pampanga.
However, Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, Chair of the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs, expressed doubts about Ong’s source of funds for her supposed investments.
“Naniniwala ako na dummy lang ito. Number one, hindi clear ang source ng funds niya. Sabi niya, siya ay isang investor. Kung ito man ay galing sa kanyang boyfriend na may so much funds, baka doon galing ito. But again, the question, kaya ko naisip na maaaring dummy lang ito, because for her age, 24, 25 years old. Having that much funds to operate a real estate project in that part of Pampanga, medyo there’s a doubt in me na parang imposible siguro ‘yun,” Barbers explained.
He further speculated that the money might have been placed in Ong’s name to circumvent the 60-40 ownership rule of the Philippine Constitution.
Santa Rosa City Rep. Dan Fernandez, Chair of the House Committee on Public Order and Safety, echoed Barbers’ sentiments. He questioned how someone of Ong’s age could handle millions of pesos without clear proof of her financial background.
“Paano mo mafi-feel na hindi siya dummy, kung ang perang dumaan sa kanya ay milyun-milyon, daang milyon… Saan nanggaling ‘yun? Nagbayad ka ba ng income tax… We also need to find out kung ano ang income o work ng parents, para sabihin na nagkaroon siya ng ganoong kalaking pera. Makikita natin na talagang nagsisinungaling ‘yung bata,” Fernandez stated.
Ong was admitted to a hospital on Wednesday after her blood pressure dropped during the hearing. She is undergoing tests to determine the cause of her low blood pressure and blood sugar.
If she continues to withhold cooperation from the investigation, Barbers and Fernandez warned that she could be cited in contempt for the third time, leading to possible detention at a women’s correctional facility. Ong has already been held in contempt twice and was detained at the House of Representatives during the ongoing investigation.
Barbers also raised concerns about Duanren Wu, the top executive of WhirlWind, who is reportedly a former police officer in China.
“Sabi ko kung police officer ito, how could this guy amass so much wealth from being a policeman in China? Maaaring mayroong nasa likod nito na sindikato na nagbibigay ng pondo para hugasan, i-money laundering dito sa atin through POGO. ‘Yun ang aming teorya,” Barbers shared.
He also received information suggesting that Chinese individuals involved in torturing workers at illegal POGOs may have been former police officers in China, possibly expelled due to criminal records and now linked to syndicates.
The House Quad Comm is set to resume its hearing on Thursday.