Mayor’s sister, companion face obstruction complaint

MANILA, Philippines — Days after their arrest in Indonesia and repatriation to Manila, an incorporator of online gaming operator Lucky South 99 and a sister of dismissed Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo underwent inquest proceedings before the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Special Task Force Division for obstruction of justice and harboring a fugitive.

Cassandra Li Ong, incorporator of Lucky South 99, and Sheila Leal Guo were arrested last Aug. 20 by Indonesian immigration authorities at the Mega Mall Batam Centre, in Riau, Indonesia.

The two arrived at Ninoy Aquino International Airport via Philippine Airlines Flight PR 540 from Jakarta, Indonesia on Thursday.

Ong is also being investigated by the Senate for her involvement in Lucky South 99, a Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) in Porac, Pampanga raided weeks ago for illegal and criminal activities.

The two are believed to have been with the dismissed mayor when she left the country on July 18.

The NBI also confirmed yesterday that Sheila is actually a Chinese national named Zhang Mier.

A fingerprint analysis conducted by the NBI and the Bureau of Immigration (BI) matched Guo’s fingerprints with those of Zhang Mier.

NBI director Jaime Santiago said at a press briefing that the fingerprint analysis confirmed that “the Chinese national Zhang Mier and Sheila Leal Guo are one and the same person.”

He also said Guo would be charged with violating the Philippine Passport Act, as her passport was allegedly fraudulently obtained.

Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco said Sheila’s use of  fraudulently issued passport would be part of the immigration violation charges to be leveled against her.

She underwent inquest for the offense Thursday night at the bureau’s headquarters in Manila. The BI said it is preparing deportation proceedings against Sheila.

“We charged her with misrepresentation as a Filipino citizen, fraudulently acquiring a Philippine passport,” Tansingco said at a briefing yesterday.

Sheila’s being a Chinese passport holder was only discovered after her arrest in Indonesia, according to Tansingco.

Sheila and Ong were handed over to the NBI after spending several hours at the BI.

Investigation is still ongoing to determine how Sheila and Ong managed to leave the Philippines undetected and whether they had been assisted by Philippine officials.

Retracing paths

Meanwhile, Tansingco added that the investigation includes retracing the paths taken by Sheila and Ong as they left the country. However, specific details about their departure were not disclosed.

Department of Justice spokesman Mico Clavano said they have taken steps – in compliance with President Marcos’ directive – to identify and hold accountable any official found to have helped Alice Guo and her companions leave the Philippines.

“We are taking the President’s directive very seriously. This is of national significance, and we will leave no stone unturned in our investigation,” Clavano said.

Santiago, meanwhile, clarified that while the charges against Sheila and Ong are bailable, the two will remain under detention by virtue of warrants of arrest issued by the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Santiago also said that the reglementary period for Sheila and Ong was put on hold because yesterday was a holiday.

He stated that the period will continue on Tuesday at 8 a.m. during which the two will be turned over to the Senate and House.

“Today is a holiday, the reglementary period does not work because there is no office available, so it will only work from the time they were arrested until it starts again on Tuesday,” Santiago said.

Ong’s legal counsel Ferdinand Topacio, however, accused the NBI of not following procedures in the arrest of his client.

“I asked him (Santiago) what the basis for the arrest was. He said the NBI would charge her with a crime, but if it’s just a charge, then that should go through the regular process of filing a complaint affidavit with a preliminary investigation,” Topacio said.

He argued that the NBI should not detain Ong without a case, emphasizing that she should have been turned over to the House of Representatives if there was a House warrant for her arrest.

Topacio said NBI’s action was “motivated by higher orders” and that it was plain “lawlessness.”

“There’s no reason for the NBI to detain her. They can charge her for anything, but without a case, why detain her? These are instructions from above, and it’s plain and simple lawlessness,” Topacio said.

But Santiago explained the bureau’s actions, saying the NBI was acting on a valid warrant.

“When an arrest warrant is issued, whether by the court, Senate or Congress, it is directed to all law enforcement agencies, and we are one of them. Once we apprehend the person sought by the warrant, we process them and return the warrant,” Santiago said. He acknowledged that the NBI was unable to turn over Ong as it was a holiday. — Cecille Suerte Felipe