MANILA — Cassandra Li Ong, the alleged representative of the shuttered Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator hub Lucky South 99 in Porac, Pampanga, was awarded a P1 million reward by the Department of Justice on Tuesday for information leading to her arrest.
The government’s Department of Justice is rewarding anyone with information about Lucky South 99 representative Cassandra Li Ong with P1 million.
The prize follows the Pasig City Regional Trial Court Branch 157’s ruling to cancel Ong’s and her co-accused attorney’s passports. Mercides Macabasa, Ronelyn Baterna, Dennis Cunanan, and Harry Roque.
The DOJ insisted that there was no Bureau of Immigration record of Ong’s departure despite allegations that she had already left the country.
Acting Secretary Fredderick Vida stated,“Definitely, with the current information, we don’t have enough, that’s why we are offering the reward, and it’s an effective tool, kasi in the past, effective tool ito for crowdsourcing of information,”
In August 2024, Ong, Bamban Mayor Alice Guo, and her purported sister Sheila Guo were arrested by Indonesian police on suspicion of being “suspicious foreigners”. The three were returned to the Philippines to deal with alleged immigration infractions, such as leaving the country illegally by avoiding airports and ports.
However, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian stated on Friday that Ong was freed from custody during the interim between the 19th and 20th Congresses.
The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) reported on Saturday that Ong was last seen in Japan earlier this year.
Community and Authorities Join Forces
Local authorities have intensified the search efforts, conducting door-to-door inquiries and reviewing security footage in the area where Cassandra was last seen. Volunteers from community organizations have also joined the search, distributing flyers and coordinating awareness campaigns.
Family’s Plea
Cassandra’s family released a heartfelt statement urging the public to help: “We miss Cassandra terribly and just want her safe back home. Please, if you know anything, no matter how small, reach out.”
