Shiela turned over to Senate; Ong to House

BY ASHZEL HACHERO and RAYMOND AFRICA

THE National Bureau of Investigation yesterday turned over Shiela Leal Guo, one of the siblings of dismissed Bamban Mayor Alice Guo, to the Senate and Cassandra Li Ong to the House of Representatives.

Warrants of arrest have been issued by the Senate against Guo, her siblings and others for their repeated failure to attend hearings on the crimes associated with the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) hubs in Bamban and Porac, Pampanga.

Senate spokesperson Arnel Jose Banas said Shiela was received by the Senate at 12:29 p.m., and had her undergo a medical examination as part of standard operating procedures.

“Guo, along with her companion Cassandra Li Ong, is scheduled to appear at a Senate hearing on Tuesday, August 27, 2024 regarding the alleged illegal activities of the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators,” Banas said in a statement.

He said Senate Sergeant-at-Arms (ret.) Lt. Gen. Roberto Angcan has assured the safety and security of Shiela inside the Senate premises, adding that a “round-the-clock security team is posted near Guo’s accommodation.”

Guo, in handcuffs, was escorted by NBI operatives during her transfer from the agency’s headquarters in Quezon City to the Senate.

“Merong (there are) warrants against them but remember, we filed three criminal charges against the two. So, after their Senate investigation, they will be turned over to us,” NBI Director Jaime Santiago said, adding the charges involve violation of the country’s immigration laws, obstruction of justice, and the use of alleged fake passports.

Ong had been cited in contempt by a House panel investigating the same POGO operation and was ordered detained for 30 days.

The two were taken into custody by Indonesian immigration authorities and were brought back to Manila last Thursday night.

HOUSE TO DIG DEEP

The House of Representatives took custody of Katherine Cassandra Li Ong, an incorporator of the raided POGO hub in Porac, Pampanga who is a central figure in the ongoing investigation of the four joint committees looking into the proliferation of POGOs under the Duterte administration and illegal activities associated with its operations.

Ong,