On September 12, Cassandra Ong, the authorized representative of the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) Lucky South 99, submitted a 27-page testimony application to the Supreme Court, requesting that the Senate and the House of Representatives respect her right to remain silent and her right against self-incrimination in the POGO-related crime investigations.
Ong's lawyer, Ferdinand Topacio, stated upon filing the document: "We believe that when a person exercises the right to remain silent, they should no longer be questioned or forced to answer. Out of respect for Congress, Ong will attend the hearing but will insist on her right to remain silent."
Senators such as Aquilino Pimentel III and Risa Hontiveros, who are members of the Senate committee, are the prosecutors in this case. In response, Hontiveros stated that the Senate's subpoena power and contempt power are well supported by numerous precedents, while Pimentel mentioned that he will wait for the court's decision.
Ong was previously detained due to multiple absences from the POGO crime investigation and was sent to the hospital due to health issues. She has since been discharged from the hospital and is now detained again in the House of Representatives' detention center.
PS: This matter is probably not as simple as it seems on the surface, Ong definitely does not want to expose some big figures. Take a look at the photo below, there are probably more than one big figure associated with POGO.
