On August 18, local time, due to ongoing doubts about whether Ronelyn Baterna, the secretary of the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) Lucky South 99, was willing to tell the truth, the House joint panel decided on Sunday to refuse reconsideration of her detention order.
Baterna was detained for refusing to disclose secrets about the investigation of the online gaming center. She claimed her innocence at the hearing, stating that she was only responsible for issuing passes. However, she later admitted that she had issued checks up to 500,000 pesos to clients, claiming that the money was not hers.
When answering questions, Baterna stated that the holder of the check account was Cassandra Lee Ong, a representative of Lucky South 99. Due to her inconsistent responses, the chairman of the quadripartite committee, Dan Fernandez, believed that the decision to handle Baterna was "correct and appropriate." He stated: "She was indeed exploited. Personnel like her are not only used for registration but also for issuing checks. Meanwhile, our Filipino compatriots are affected by the flow of funds. We sympathize with her, but her actions were fundamentally wrong."
Other congressmen also refused the request to reconsider the detention order and asked Baterna if she was willing to waive the secrecy of the Bank Secrecy Law. By waiving this exemption, related bank account deposits, transactions, and other necessary details could be freely reviewed. Baterna quickly agreed to this request.
