Joselito Malig

Article (news)

Adrian Ayalin

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA - The Supreme Court dismissed on Friday the petition for certiorari filed by Katherine Cassandra Li Ong against the congressional inquiries last year by the Senate and the House of Representatives on Philippine Offshore and Gaming Operators or POGOs in the country.</p><p>In an en banc decision, the court said it was wrong for Ong to broadly invoke her right against self-incrimination as she alleged that the Senate and House proceedings were in the nature of a custodial investigation.   </p><p>“Thus, it is clear that the right against self-incrimination may only be invoked in legislative inquiry when a specific question implicating such right is propounded,” the court said in the decision penned by Associate Justice Jhosep Lopez.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/7/2/court-of-appeals-junks-cassandra-ongs-petition-vs-human-trafficking-raps-1613"><strong>Court of Appeals junks Cassandra Ong’s petition vs human trafficking raps </strong></a> </div><p>The court added that Ong did not specify which questions called for an incriminating answer.</p><p>In her petition, Ong included video recordings of the purported portions of the hearings in a storage device but the court said those were unverified and unauthenticated.</p><p>The court also noted that it has previously stated that the right to be assisted by counsel can only be invoked by a person under custodial investigation and cannot be applied to individuals who were invited as resource persons. </p><p>“This court finds that petitioner&#x27;s main arguments invoking her right to remain silent, right  against self-incrimination, and right to counsel, are untenable,” the court said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/11/5/pnp-submits-more-evidence-vs-cassandra-ong-on-porac-pogo-case-1316"><strong>PNP submits more evidence vs Cassandra Ong on Porac POGO case</strong></a></div><p>“The power of the legislature to conduct inquiries in aid of legislation has consistently been affirmed by this court,” the court added.</p><p>The court also said there is no reason to issue a Temporary Restraining order or writ of preliminary injunction because of Ong failure to establish prima facie evidence.</p><p>Ong is currently in jail after being charged this year of the non-bailable crime of qualified human trafficking in connection with POGO operations in Porac, Pampanga.</p><div> </div>

<p>The Supreme Court dismissed on Friday the petition for certiorari filed by Katherine Cassandra Li Ong against the congressional inquiries last year by the Senate and the House of Representatives on Philippine Offshore and Gaming Operators or POGOs in the country.</p>

The Supreme Court dismissed on Friday the petition for certiorari filed by Katherine Cassandra Li Ong against the congressional inquiries last year by the Senate and the House of Representatives on Philippine Offshore and Gaming Operators or POGOs in the country.

SC dismisses petition of Cassandra Li Ong vs. congressional hearings on POGOs

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SC dismisses petition of Cassandra Li Ong vs. congressional hearings on POGOs

Adrian Ayalin,

ABS-CBN News

Published Oct 17, 2025 08:19 PM PHT

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POGO

Cassandra Li Ong

Supreme Court

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