📷Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla
Department of Justice confirmed on Thursday, August 22, that the Indonesian authorities detained ex-Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo’s sisters Cassandra Li Ong and Shiela Guo.
DOJ made the confirmation in a separate media interview shortly after Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos said Guo’s companions are already in the custody of Indonesian authorities.
“Yes that is true… We found the connection between Alice Guo and Cassandra Li Ong, which means that Bamban and Porac [POGOs] are closely related,” Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla told reporters.
Sheila is subject to the Senate arrest order issued against her and her siblings for refusing to attend the hearings on POGOs. Regarding Ong, the reason for her detention by authorities is unclear. While she was held in contempt by the House, they have not yet issued an arrest order against her.
Ong, also known as Cassy Ong or Cassy Li, is connected to the Lucky South 99 POGO in Porac, Pampanga. She was also responsible for recruiting former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque to represent Whirlwind Corporation, the real estate firm that leased land to Lucky South.
In June, authorities reported that the Lucky South 99 POGO hubs were centers for various illegal activities, including human trafficking, forced labor, and various scams.
Authorities previously reported that Guo departed from the Philippines last month, traveling to Malaysia and Singapore, where she reunited with her family before proceeding to Indonesia this weekend.
The Philippine government has recently requested the cancellation of the passports belonging to Guo, her siblings Wesley and Sheila, as well as Ong.
Interpol has also been alerted to help locate the four individuals. (TCSP)
