Cassandra Ong has been out of contact ‘for some time’ – Topacio

MANILA, Philippines — Cassandra Li Ong’s legal counsel admitted on Sunday that they have not been in contact with her “for some time now,” as she is reportedly at large.

Atty. Ferdinand Topacio also maintained that his engagement with Ong as her lawyer “subsists.”

“While we have not been in communication with our client for some time, we are bound by law and the tenets of the legal profession to continue providing her with the best legal services we can render under the circumstances,” Topacio said in a statement.

READ: PNP intensifies search for Cassandra Ong; to work with Interpol

Topacio accused the government of using Ong to “divert public attention” from various issues facing the country, including the flood control scam.

Ong is accused of qualified human trafficking in an illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator in Pampanga. She is the alleged business associate of dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo.

During the Senate’s plenary deliberations on the Department of Justice’s proposed 2026 budget, it was revealed that Ong had already been released from detention.

READ: Cassandra Ong is now at large – DOJ

Reports say Ong was last tracked in Japan. /mcm