Cassandra Li-Ong, alleged business partner of former Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo, has expressed her preference to go to jail rather than face another congressional hearing, her lawyer Ferdinand Topacio said on Saturday.
“Ms. Ong can’t take it anymore,” Topacio stated during a media briefing. He explained that Ong no longer wishes to testify, citing the humiliation and bullying she experienced in previous legislative hearings.
“She said if the lawmakers want to send her to jail, she’ll just go to jail instead of appearing again in a legislative hearing,” he added, noting that she is even willing to accept incarceration at the Women’s Correctional.
Ong, who has been involved in the ongoing investigation into illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), has been summoned to appear before the Senate on Monday. According to Topacio, his client has been dealing with significant mental health issues and has experienced several breakdowns since her repatriation to the Philippines in August.
“Her trauma is manifesting physically,” Topacio said, revealing that Ong had been hospitalized due to the stress caused by the hearings.
While Topacio emphasized that his client’s appeal was emotional, not legal, he urged senators to consider Ong’s condition and refrain from subjecting her to further public humiliation.