Pogo lessor ‘big boss’ an ex-Chinese cop, house told

Katherine Cassandra Ong, an incorporator of Whirlwind Corporation, was presented before the House of Representatives quad-committee to hear her side regarding issues surrounding the Philippine offshore gaming operator (Pogo) hub in Porac, Pampanga. Whirlwind only leased land to Pogo hub operator Lucky South 99, but several lawmakers believe that Ong is possibly involved in both companies. (Photo from the House of Representatives media bureau)

MANILA, Philippines — It appears that the “big boss” of the lessor of a Pampanga-based online gaming operator was an ex-Chinese police officer with a “spotty record,”  and he happens to be the godfather of the girlfriend of the brother of dismissed Bamban Mayor Alice Guo.

This was revealed during the House quad committee hearing on Wednesday night, where Cassandra Li Ong, a key witness in the probe, confirmed that Duanren Wu was the top executive of Whirlwind Corp., which leased land to the Philippine offshore gaming operator (Pogo) Lucky South 99 in Porac, Pampanga.

Lucky South 99 was raided and shut down by the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission last June on suspicion that it was involved in torture, human trafficking and illegal scamming activities. It stood on land owned by Whirlwind, of which Ong was a stakeholder.

Wu is a family friend of Ong’s mother. Ong said her mother gave her the money to invest in Whirlwind, which was also a service provider for Lucky South 99.

‘Simple policeman’

Ong admitted to knowing a certain Mr. Cheng, the owner of Lucky South 99.

Wu previously worked for the Chinese government before venturing into business, Ong told quad committee cochair Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers.

“He was a simple policeman, but again, I know he resigned,” she said.

Barbers responded to this, saying it was the same information lawmakers had gathered about Wu.

He said Wu “had several records” when he was a police officer.

“It’s about him having so many negative records in China, but I will tell you about this [at] the appropriate time,” he told Ong.

The House has long sought Ong as a key resource person in their probe into illegal drugs, Pogo operations, as well as extrajudicial killings—crimes connected with the previous Duterte administration.

Mounting pressure

Apart from being a major shareholder of Whirlwind, Ong is also the girlfriend of Wesley, Guo’s brother. Ong, however, denied ever being close to Guo, saying she only knew the disgraced mayor “because she is (Wesley’s) sister.”

Guo, Wesley and their “sister,” Shiela, had escaped from the Philippines last July as they were facing mounting pressure to appear in separate House and Senate probes into their involvement in illegal Pogos.

Shiela, a Chinese who has been identified as Zhang Mier, and Ong were apprehended by Indonesian authorities on Aug. 22 and deported to the Philippines on the same day.

Guo was arrested by Indonesian authorities near Jakarta on Wednesday and was scheduled to be flown back to Manila early Friday.