Cassandra Ong's first House hearing turns into roller-coaster ride

Manila Bulletin

The House quad-committee (quad-comm) hearing on the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) controversy Wednesday, Aug. 28 was an absolute roller-coaster ride for Cassandra Ong.   In the course of just a few hours, the Lucky South 99 Outsourcing Inc. representative and Whirlwind Corporation corporate secretary irked the congressmen so much that she was cited for contempt a second time, to exchanging smiles with them and sharing details about her personal life.   READ MORE: https://mb.com.ph/2024/8/29/i-refuse-to-answer-cassandra-ong-s-first-house-hearing-turns-into-roller-coaster-ride  Subscribe to the Manila Bulletin Online channel! - https://www.youtube.com/TheManilaBulletin  Visit our website at http://mb.com.ph Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/manilabulletin  Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/manila_bulletin Instagram: https://instagram.com/manilabulletin Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@manilabulletin  #ManilaBulletinOnline #ManilaBulletin #LatestNews

Transcript

00:00And in your text to me, and I know that this came from your heart, you said here in your text,

00:10Hi Kong, thank you for the time to pick up the call. I hope it ends soon. All of it is just allegations.

00:18I also pray that it will be fair enough. I'm not involved in politics and will not.

00:25I also don't want to be involved in the fight of a great man. Long live the Philippines. Long live PBBM.

00:36So you texted this, right? You remember?

00:39And you were saying that you don't want to be involved in the fight of a great man.

00:46Are you referring to...

00:51What personality are you trying to imply on your text?

01:06I invoke my right to remain silent.

01:09You invoke my right to your right.

01:17Okay, so...

01:19I'm advising her to answer.

01:20Because I'm just asking a simple question.

01:23Is this a great man of the Chinese or a great man of the Filipinos?

01:29Are you saying that you don't want to be involved in the fight of a great man?

01:35You can answer directly, no?

01:38There's nothing wrong in saying...

01:41Because you said you're Filipino, right?

01:43I will show you, Cassandra.

01:45This is the certificate of your naturalization.

01:49When your father...

01:51And we were able to get that during the time of 1978.

01:55He applied for the naturalization.

01:58And thereby, when you were born in the year 2000, you are a Filipino.

02:04Right?

02:06So, you're a Filipino.

02:08You may be Chinese in blood, but in your heart and mind, you're a Filipino.

02:16Am I correct?

02:19Yes.

02:20And where will you be involved in the fight that you're saying in your text to me?

02:23I never replied, right? I didn't reply to you.

02:26Because I really don't want you to answer back on my cell phone.

02:31What I wanted is for you to appear on the committee and to answer to all of us.

02:36So, who?

02:41Mr. Chair, I invoke my right to remain silent.

02:45Congressman Fernandez, if I may?

02:47Yes, Mr. Chair.

02:50The question of Congressman Dan Fernandez is not incriminating.

02:55Because his question is, who is fighting?

02:59Is that an incriminating statement?

03:01Mr. Chair, the reason why I started our hearing with the parameters on the use of right to self-incrimination

03:12is to guide our resource speaker as to when they can be availed of and when they cannot.

03:21And as far as this representation is concerned, Mr. Chair,

03:25we have two elements before they can avail of the right against self-incrimination.

03:31One, there must be identifiable crime.

03:35And two, there is the probability that the resource speaker may be convicted of the crime.

03:43Now, at this point, Mr. Chair, may we ask Ms. Cassandra Ong,

03:49Ms. Cassandra Ong, when Honorable Dan Fernandez asked you,

03:55who are you avoiding?

03:59What crime are you thinking that you may be involved in?

04:11I refuse to testify.

04:14I refuse to answer for my own reason.

04:19If I may, Congressman Luistro,

04:26I'm sure it is upon the advice of your counsel, Atty. Tapasio,

04:30kaya mo sinasabi that you refuse to testify on the right against self-incrimination, etc., etc.

04:38Pero maliwanag po na marami pong sinayit na mga jurisprudence tungkol dito.

04:45And we are very lenient to your client, Atty. Tapasio.

04:51And because of that leniency, we allowed her to appear before us

04:59so that we can propound questions related to the alleged crime that she has committed.

05:05Under the jurisprudence that was cited by Congressman Luistro,

05:10meron pong identifiable crime.

05:12And we don't want the committee to be compelled to cite her in contempt

05:18because as it is, she is already detained in the House

05:22and once the committee rules on citing her in contempt again,

05:28she probably would stay in this detention facility much longer.

05:35Kaya please advise your client to cooperate.

05:39As long as her rights are not violated, we will continue to ask her questions.

05:45Atty. Ang mga tanong po na yan ay related po sa investigasyon

05:49kung saan ay mayroon pong operasyon ng illegal na pogo dito sa ating bansa

05:54at si Cassandra Leong ang mukha o ang representasyon o representative nitong mga pogong ito.

06:02Kaya yun ang gusto po namin malaman.

06:04Atty. Topacio, please advise your client.

06:07Yes, Cassandra, naintindihan mo ba yun sinabi ko?

06:11Yes po.

06:12So, sasagot ka na Cassandra.

06:14Mr. Chair, pwede po ako mag-excuse sa sarili ko ng like 10 minutes lang po.

06:20Excused for? 10 minutes?

06:22To consult po.

06:23To consult with your lawyer? 10 minutes?

06:27Yes po.

06:29Mr. Chair, is that too long? I mean, that's too long.

06:345 minutes.

06:36You can consult any member you wish to consult kung nga yan ang problema.

06:44Kasi if we give you 10 minutes, alam mo kanina pang umaga itong ating resource persons naghihintay.

06:50In fact, we started 10 o'clock tuloy-tuloy po at wag mo nang i-delay.

06:57Simple lang naman po yung tanong. Yung tanong po ay related po doon sa iyong involvement dyan sa Locky South 99.

07:05Mr. Chairman, I think the resource person must consider na, well, she's not special.

07:15Hindi po kayo lamang ang resource person that we are investigating.

07:20All of these resource persons have been here since morning.

07:24Locky, you are in your own room, meron kang aircon, meron kang sariling kuwarto.

07:30But all of these people who are working tirelessly to parrot the truth has been here for so long.

07:37We hope you understand that you're asking for 10 minutes for us to wait another 10 minutes.

07:42I think, Mr. Chair, that is unacceptable.

07:46And if I may ask, can we ask Atty. Tapasio?

07:52Yes, you may.

07:54What's the reason, Atty. Tapasio, that you are asking for a 10-minute suspension?

07:59May I address the Chair, Your Honor?

08:01Yes, please.

08:02It was not my idea, actually, Your Honor. It was her request to me.

08:06And I told her to relate directly because I cannot talk unless recognized.

08:10Thank you, Your Honors.

08:11Are you an incorporator of Locky South 99?

08:18Hindi po.

08:20Hindi ka incorporator ng Locky South 99?

08:29Never?

08:31Remember, you are under oath.

08:34Member ka or not?

08:43Baka ina-advise mo, Atty., mali.

08:47Starting 2019, she is already an executive assistant of Locky South 99.

08:58Cassandra, are you an incorporator of Locky South 99 since 2019 to the present?

09:13I think assistant lang po, pero hindi siya incorporator.

09:18You are an executive assistant?

09:20Tag po dito, autore.

09:242019?

09:35Tama, Cassandra?

09:43Okay.

09:46Kailangan naging executive assistant ng Locky South 99?

09:58Kung pagbabasayan natin yung mga dokumento november 2019, incorporated ka na doon,

10:05and you were like 19 years old during that time. Am I correct?

10:10Correct?

10:11Yes po.

10:1219 years old?

10:1319 years old.

10:15Paano ka nakapagtrabaho sa Locky South 99?

10:21Mr. Chair, I refuse po to answer.

10:23Mr. Chairman.

10:24Mr. Chair, point of order.

10:26Point of order.

10:28What is the point of order of the...

10:33Mr. Chair, I'm getting confused.

10:35With all due respect to Attorney Topacio,

10:40every time Chairman Dan gives a question,

10:47it seems that it's Attorney Topacio answering.

10:50So I think we should...

10:53I've been watching you and you've been whispering,

10:56so can you please give the resource person the opportunity to answer truthfully?

11:05Attorney Topacio, may we ask you to refrain from answering in behalf of your client.

11:12As we clearly stated earlier,

11:14the role of the council is only limited to advising your client of his or her constitutional rights in this committee hearing.

11:23So Cassie, ikaw ang sumagot.

11:27Attorney Topacio, with all due respect,

11:29I don't mean no offense to you,

11:31but it's just that let's allow the resource person the freedom to explain her side

11:37and to explain how she's involved or not involved in this situation

11:44because this is her opportunity to clear her name.

11:47Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

11:50Okay, Cassie, sino nag-recruit sayo sa Locky South 99?

11:55I refuse to testify, po.

11:58Okay, yun ang unang mong trabaho sa Locky South 99?

12:09I refuse to testify, po. Sorry, Mr. Chair.

12:12Tinatanong ko lang kung ano yun ang unang mong trabaho.

12:14Pwede mo naman sabihin iba ang trabaho mo, di ba?

12:18Anong unang trabaho mo sa buhay mo?

12:23Pasensya na po ulit. I refuse to testify, po.

12:27Saan ka nag-college? This will not incriminate you.

12:33It will, po.

12:35What? Ang tinatanong ko, saan ka nag-college?

12:39I refuse to testify.

12:40Sabi mo Pilipina ka, di ba? Did you study in the Philippines?

12:45I refuse, po, to testify, po.

12:48Atty. Tapasyo, let this be a warning to you to please allow your client to respond to the question.

12:59We will, you know, these are simple questions.

13:06Tinatanong lang, saan siya nag-aral? Saan siya nag-college?

13:10Right against self-incrimination? Please.

13:14You know, this is a warning, Atty. Tapasyo.

13:22Let her answer, kasi...

13:24Mr. Chair?

13:25Paki, anong mo lang, sagot mo lang nang tama ito.

13:28Dahil yung tanong na kusang ka nag-aral ay hindi naman incriminating sa iyo.

13:34Bakit refuse to answer?

13:38Patitilitang kami i-contempt ka.

13:41Mr. Chairman?

13:43Parang yung sa paper ni Cassandra, mayroon na kaagad sagot na pinituturo ni Atty. Tapasyo, eh.

13:52Di ba? So I will give you another chance, Atty. Tapasyo.

13:57South 99 and in the Whirlwind Corporation, binigay niya yung mga cheque sa iyo

14:02at maraming milyon-milyon ang dumakang pera dito.

14:06So, ginamit mo yung chequing account.

14:11Pasensiya na po talaga, I refuse to testify po.

14:14Mr. Chair?

14:17Mr. Chair?

14:20We'll change na lang the question. If she feels that it will incriminate her, we will be...

14:26Okay, in the intelligence of Congressman Fernandez. Yes, is this a short interjection?

14:30Mr. Chair?

14:31Please proceed.

14:33I move to cite Cassandra in contempt.

14:37Second.

14:39The parliamentary status is that there is a motion to cite Cassandra Ong in contempt for the second time

14:50for violating Section 11, Paragraph A and Paragraph C of the rules.

14:56Paragraph C of the rules of the House.

15:02And in the spirit of fairness, we would like to give her the opportunity to answer.

15:10As manifested and stated by Congressman Gutierrez.

15:16So, I will now allow Congressman Gutierrez to direct your questions to Cassandra Leong

15:26with a warning to the Council that your appearance, again, is only limited to advising the legal rights of your client.

15:39And under the same rules of the House, we can also ask you to be cited in contempt and removed from this room

15:51if you continue to disobey the warning of the Chair.

15:55Okay. Is there any motion?

15:58Thank you, Mr. Chairman. For the second motion, Mr. Chairman, I move that Ms. Cassandra Ong will be detained

16:06in the duration in which until the committee report will be adopted in the plenary, Mr. Chairman.

16:15And it follows that the investigation will be terminated, Mr. Chairman.

16:20There is a motion to detain her as long as this committee hearing of the QUADCOM completes its investigation,

16:31which as of this time, as we speak, is still undetermined as to the number of days.

16:37So, until we terminate, until this committee hearing is completed, you are cited in contempt and you will be detained

16:47as a penalty for violating Section 11 of our rules.

16:51Any second?

16:55Julie seconded. Any objection?

16:57Hearing none, the motion is approved.

17:01Next motion.

17:02Mr. Chairman, without Mr. Chairman, I move that since the Congressional facility for detainees is too crowded,

17:14I move that Ms. Cassandra Ong will be detained in the Women's Correctional Center. So moved, Mr. Chairman.

17:21There is a motion to detain Cassandra Ong at the Women's Correctional Center located at?

17:30Mandaluyong.

17:31Mandaluyong. It's a detention facility, Women's Correctional.

17:38Julie seconded. Any objections? Hearing none, the motion is approved.

Category

Transcript

Recommended