Philippine Authorities Hunt for Katherine Cassandra Ong Following Her Flight to Japan

Katherine Cassandra Ong, the representative of a Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) recently targeted in a raid, remains at large after fleeing to Japan earlier this year following her release from detention, according to the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC).

In May, a court issued a warrant for Ong’s arrest in connection with a qualified trafficking case that also names former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque as a co-accused. PAOCC spokesperson Winston Casio confirmed that the agency’s latest information indicates Ong’s departure to Japan, although her current location remains unknown.

Casio clarified that no hold departure order was in place when Ong left the Philippines. Nevertheless, the PAOCC is now working closely with international authorities to trace and repatriate her. An Interpol red notice has already been issued to facilitate her arrest.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, citing the Department of Justice (DOJ), revealed that Ong was released from detention at the House of Representatives due to the procedural transition between the 19th and 20th Congress. At the time of her release, no arrest warrant existed against her. The DOJ has since filed a petition to cancel her passport.

Lawmakers expressed concern over Ong’s escape and urged that all efforts be made to ensure her return to the country to face justice.

Ong initially left the Philippines amid heightened investigations into illicit activities associated with POGOs last year. Subsequently, she was apprehended in Indonesia alongside Sheila Guo, sister of former Bamban Mayor Alice Guo, who is also implicated in POGO-related offenses. Both were extradited back to the Philippines.

Notably, Alice Guo was recently convicted of qualified human trafficking and sentenced to life imprisonment, highlighting the severity of the cases linked to the offshore gaming sector.