The House of Representatives Quad Committee on Thursday night ordered the 30-day detention of Katherine Cassandra Li Ong at the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong City.
This comes after she was cited for contempt for the second time, her latest instance for “lying” during the ongoing investigation into illegal Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs).
Currently detained at the House of Representatives, Ong will be transferred to the CIW after her initial 30-day contempt penalty for snubbing hearings ends on September 26. CIW is the country’s sole penal facility exclusively for women offenders. It typically houses those whose convictions are final, much like its male counterpart, the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City.
Abang Lingkod party-list Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano, co-chair of the Quad Committee, questioned Ong’s claim of completing the Alternative Learning System (ALS) in 2016 or 2017, noting inconsistencies in her responses about where she attended the program.
During the heated exchange, Paduano expressed frustration over Ong’s inability to provide specific details about her schooling: “You’re lying, Ms. Cassandra Ong. Remember, previously, you were cited in contempt, and I will once again cite you in contempt for lying.”
Ong claimed that she had difficulty remembering the name of the public school where she allegedly enrolled for ALS, saying that she “forgot” the details. Following the exchange, Paduano moved to cite Ong in contempt for the second time.
Surigao del Norte (2nd District) Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, the overall chair of the Quad Committee, swiftly approved the motion with no objections raised. Antipolo City Rep. Romeo Acop also moved to transfer Ong to the CIW if the detention facility inside the House of Representatives was full.
