Barbers said in an interview: "Since Cassandra Li Ong prefers to be in jail rather than in the House of Representatives' detention, we will respect her wishes and grant them. If she still fails to provide any information about illegal online gambling, we will take action against her without further courtesy."
The House of Representatives is investigating Lucky South 99 for its alleged involvement with illegal activities related to the Bolacay online gambling center in Bataan Province, and Cassandra Li Ong is the authorized representative of the company.
Cassandra Li Ong's lawyer, Ferdinand Topacio, stated that she would rather face imprisonment than further humiliation in the congressional investigation into the escape incident of Guo Huaping. Previously, Cassandra Li Ong was absent from the related hearing due to health issues and submitted a petition requesting the court to issue a temporary restraining order (TRO) to prevent the Senate and House committees from infringing on her rights to silence, against self-incrimination, and to choose legal counsel. Cassandra Li Ong also asked the Supreme Court to stop the congressional committees from exerting undue pressure, including verbal, mental, or psychological intimidation and threats. She also hopes the court will stop the congressional committees from taking punitive actions against her for exercising her constitutional rights, as well as threats of professional sanctions against her lawyer.
