The Quad Committee of the House of Representatives has withdrawn the second contempt order against Cassandra Ong. Along with this, the order to detain her at the Women’s Correctional Facility in Mandaluyong City has also been lifted.
This decision came after Ong agreed to sign a waiver, allowing the Anti-Money Laundering Committee to access her bank accounts.
However, Laguna Representative Dan Fernandez, one of the panel’s chairpersons, clarified that the first contempt order against Ong will remain, and she will stay under the custody of the House of Representatives.
Meanwhile, the panels have lifted the contempt and detention order against Ronelyn Baterna, the documented corporate secretary of Lucky South 99.
Baterna revealed that she had issued checks to clients of Lucky South 99, with the largest amount reaching half a million pesos. According to her, these funds were provided by Ong.
Ong was also forced to disclose that she holds multiple accounts with Chinabank, which she used for Lucky South 99 transactions. She reportedly traveled to Singapore and later to Malaysia to meet her boyfriend, Wesley Guo, the brother of Alice Guo, the ousted mayor of Bamban, Tarlac.
Previously, Cassandra Ong was cited in contempt and ordered to be placed in the custody of a correctional facility for refusing to answer questions, instead invoking his right to remain silent.