Philippines seeks Interpol aid as POGO-linked Cassandra Ong flees
The Philippines has intensified its efforts to track down Cassandra Li Ong (as depicted in the featured image), a figure linked to the shuttered Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hub Lucky South 99, after confirming she had already left the country and was last traced to Japan. Authorities have since issued an Interpol Red Notice, deepening concerns over how she managed to exit the Philippines despite facing serious allegations.
Ong’s disappearance has renewed scrutiny of enforcement lapses during government transitions, drawing comparisons with the earlier controversy surrounding former Bamban mayor Alice Guo. Senators noted that both cases exposed weaknesses in the coordination between Congress, the Justice Department, and immigration agencies.
The issue resurfaced during Senate debates on the Department of Justice’s 2026 budget, where Senator Sherwin Gatchalian disclosed that Ong had been released from House custody at the end of the 19th Congress. He explained that detention orders issued by the House lapse automatically once Congress ends, meaning Ong could legally walk free in mid-2025.
Ong flees the Philippines
At the time of her release, no criminal case had yet been filed against her, leaving authorities with no legal basis to keep her detained. A qualified human trafficking complaint was lodged only after the 20th Congress had already begun, by which point Ong had left the facility and left the Philippines.
An arrest warrant and a hold-departure order were later issued, alongside moves to cancel her passport. However, the Bureau of Immigration reported no official exit record, prompting early fears that Ong may have left through irregular routes, an issue that has previously troubled Philippine authorities.
Senator Risa Hontiveros described the situation as potentially “Alice Guo Part Two”, noting striking similarities in the timing, method, and oversight gaps that enabled the two women to slip out of reach.
New information from the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) indicates Ong used conventional travel channels, departing before any legal restrictions were in place. PAOCC spokesperson Winston Casio said Ong was traced to Japan in January 2025. Her presence there coincided with the period in which a Pampanga court issued a warrant of arrest against her, between March and May 2025.
Ong faces allegations of involvement in human trafficking and fraudulent activities linked to Lucky South 99. She was previously detained in Indonesia in August 2024, alongside Alice Guo and Guo’s alleged sister, before being deported to Manila. However, Ong faced only immigration-related complaints at the time, limiting the government’s ability to restrict her movements.
Popularly associated with Lucky South 99
She is known as the authorised representative of Lucky South 99 and holds a 58 percent stake in Whirlwind Corporation, which leased land to the POGO hub in Porac, Pampanga. Former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque is among her co-accused in the trafficking case lodged by the police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and the PAOCC.
The Philippine government has already sought Interpol Red Notices for former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque and Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) spokesperson Dr Winston Casio, signalling a broader push to pursue individuals implicated in ongoing investigations.
Critics argue that Ong’s escape from the Philippines was made possible by a lack of coordination between the DOJ, the House of Representatives, and the immigration system. According to Hontiveros, the case highlights the urgent need for reforms to close escape routes that prominent suspects frequently take advantage of.
Furthermore, this recent event follows Alice Guo’s 2025 conviction for qualified human trafficking, which sparked debate over loopholes allegedly used by POGO-affiliated operators. Philippine authorities claim they are collaborating with international counterparts to find Ong and bring her back to face charges as the Red Notice spreads throughout the world.
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