Cassandra Ong (Facebook)

Manila 6th district Bienvenido "Benny" Abante Jr. finally squeezed out a confession from Lucky South 99 "authorized represenrative" Cassandra Ong that she actually was involved with Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO). 

It wasn't easy no thanks to Ong's stubbornness; but after Abante cornered Ong during his interpellation of her, the fish was already caught by the mouth. 

During the House quad-committee hearing Wednesday, Sept 4, the veteran solon pressed the 24-year-old regarding the transaction that she made at the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor). 

"You answer me now, what kind of license did you get, [try] to get from Pagcor?" Abante asked Ong. 

"Mr. Chair, license to operate po ng Pagcor (It was a license to operate from Pagcpr)," said Ong in a response that infuriated Abante, since it was unresponsive. 

"You applied for a license from Pagcor. To operate what?" The Manila congressman asked again. 

"Ah. To operate POGO po," admitted Ong, who had been detained by the House of Representatives due to an earlier contempt citation. 

"Ayun! Ibig sabihin involved ka sa POGO. Hindi ka pwedeng mag-apply ng license sa Pagcor na hindi mo alam na POGO yan. Oh my goodness," said the flabbergasted Abante. 

(That's it! That means you're involved with POGO. You can't apply for a license at Pagcor if you didn't know that it was POGO.) 

The quad further reminded Ong about the Pagcor transaction, which he said involved former presidential spokesperson, lawyer Harry Roque. 

"Nagpunta ka sa Pagcor. Sinama mo pa si Atty. Harry Roque. Si Atty, Harry Roque naman, sapagkat alam mong may influence sa Pagcor yan, nagpasama ka sa kanya at nagbayad ka pa ng dollar...back charges," he said. 

(You went to Pagcor. You brought Atty. Harry Roque along. Atty. Harry Roque has influence over Pagcor,  You ask him to accompany you and you paid in dollars...back charges.) 

When Ong insisted that she was a mere authorized represenrative of Lucky South 99, Abante blew a fuse. 

"Wag kang magsiapsinungaling dito, kahit genius ka, hindi mo kami kayang paikutin (Don't lie to us here, even if you're a genius you can't trick us)," he said.

'Masyado kang pa-cute' 

Wednesday was Ong's second time to testify before the quad-comm. Unlike her first time  facing the special four-way panel last Aug. 28,  she was no longer handled with kid gloves. 

The quad-comm chairmen again threatened an additional contempt citation and transfer to the Correctional Institution for Women against Ong--for real this time--after they called her out for her non-amswers on the POGO issue as well as jhee delaying tactics. 

In particular, Lanao del Sur 1st district Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong scolded Ong for cutting off another co-chairman in ABANG LINGKOD Party-list Rep. Joseph Stephen "Caraps" Paduano. 

"Masyado kang pa-cute eh! (You think of yourself as too cute)," a visibly irked Adiong told tie young woman. 

Ong ended up being sent to an undisclosed hospital by her House custodians due to dizziness. 

Before this, the resident physician of the House checked up on her in the middle of the hearing and said that she had low blood sugar. She was also under a lot of stress. 

The custodian also told the joint panel that Ong didn't eat much since she was very picky with her food. 

During the Aug. 28 quad-comm hearing, Ong declared: "Yong business po namin is nagre-rent lang para, building, real estate lang po (Our business involves renting, like with buildings, real estate). I’m not related to any POGO."