A Philippines government official says Cassandra Li Ong, charged with human trafficking in connection with Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGOs), has likely returned to her Chinese homeland.
“She’s not in the Philippines,” said Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla on Wednesday. “We’re looking at her travel records. Our theory is that she returned to Fujian, China where she’s from.”
That came after the government said on Tuesday that Ong is still in the country and asked the public to help locate her. “Anyone who sees Cassandra Ong should immediately inform law enforcement,” said Palace press officer Claire Castro in a news briefing. “Through any possible means, small or big, any help from the public will help the government bring fugitives to justice.”
The Department of Justice has offered a PHP1 million (US$17,000) reward for information leading to Ong’s arrest. She has been described as a key figure in the operation of the Lucky 99 South POGO compound in Pampanga. Workers freed from the facility said they were forced to conduct online scams or face physical abuse, including torture.
In July 2024, following multiple allegations that POGOs were fronts for organised crime, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr banned the industry. He further ordered that all foreign nationals associated with the operations be deported.
Search goes on for POGO attorney Harry Roque
Authorities are also on the hunt for a high-profile attorney linked to the Pampanga POGO. Last month, officials asked Interpol to help apprehend Harry Roque, once the official spokesman for former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte. According to investigators, Roque also served as legal representative for Lucky 99 South and Ong.
Roque is also charged with human trafficking, but he claims he is the victim of political persecution. He is seeking asylum in the Netherlands.
In November, Alice Guo was convicted of human trafficking at a POGO centre in Bamban, Tarlac, where she was mayor. It was the first conviction under new laws that allow the prosecution of people who “organise and direct others” to enslave workers. Guo was sentenced to life in prison.
Another public official has also been charged. On Tuesday, Jaime “Jing” Capil, mayor of Porac, Pampanga, was arrested on seven counts of graft for failing to regulate Lucky 99 South. He was released on a cash bond of PHP630,000.
POGOs and POGO crimes endure, despite ban
Eighteen months after Marcos ordered the shutdown of the POGO industry, pockets of criminal activity remain. On Monday, more than 100 people were arrested from the raid of an illegal POGO in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. And six investigators now face charges after PHP13.451 million seized at a suspected POGO in Bataan went missing.
Meanwhile, if Ong is in China, it could be difficult to secure her extradition given “geopolitical tensions” between the two countries, said Remulla. “[China’s] cooperation is not guaranteed.”
To limit her ability to travel, the government has revoked her passport, as well as Roque’s.
Cassandra Li Ong is wanted for human trafficking in connection with the Lucky 99 South POGO.