THE House Quad Committee on Thursday has cited anew Cassandra Li Ong in contempt, for violating Section 11 Paragraph C of the House of Representatives’ rules of procedure governing inquiries in aid of legislation.
Quad Committee co-chairperson Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano made the motion after Ong consistently refused to answer questions about her educational background.
Ong will be transferred to the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong City on Sept. 26 after serving her detention time from the first contempt order.
Paduano noted Ong lied about having a pending money laundering case, using it as grounds for invoking her right against self-incrimination to avoid answering questions about her transactions with Lucky South 99 and Whirlwind Corporations.
Deputy City Prosecutor (DCP) Benjamin Samson disclosed that there is no money laundering case filed against Ong yet. However, he said that there is a case that the Anti-Money Laundering Council, National Bureau of Investigation and the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission, filed against Bamban ex-Mayor Alice Guo which includes Ong as a co-respondent, which is at the preliminary investigation stage at the Department of Justice.
During earlier interpellation, Quad Comm co-chairperson Rep. Dan Fernandez divulged Ong has 11 bank accounts, including a life insurance policy. Ong was unable to specify the number of bank accounts she owned during the previous hearings.
Fernandez also revealed that Ong’s boss, Duanren Wu, has seven bank accounts with a total transaction of P183 million.
He exposed significant financial transactions linked to Ong and her company, Whirlwind Corporation, where she owns 58 percent and Wu holds a 20 percent stake.
“Kasi you have like 23 transactions doon that involves almost P211 million. And with your 11 accounts, you have almost P198 million,” Fernandez stated.
Ong refused to answer or confirm these statements, invoking her right against self-incrimination.
“Kasi the last time wala ka pang kaso. Kaya nga sinasabi namin sa iyo, cooperate with us. Pero ngayong may kaso ka na, iyan talaga ang mangyayari,” Fernandez retorted.
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