MANILA — Katherine Cassandra Li Ong, charged with qualified human trafficking for her alleged involvement in the Lucky South 99 offshore gaming hub in Porac, Pampanga, was last tracked in Japan after her release from detention, the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) said.

PAOCC spokesman Winston John Casio said Japan was Ong’s final recorded destination in the first quarter of 2024 before authorities lost track of her movements.

“That was the last information we obtained—Japan. After that, we have no idea where she went,” Casio said in Filipino during the Saturday News Forum in Quezon City.

Ong had previously been detained at the House of Representatives for contempt but was freed when the 19th Congress ended and the 20th Congress began. She is reportedly the girlfriend of Wesley Guo, brother of ousted Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo, who was convicted of qualified human trafficking and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Authorities earlier raided Lucky South 99, which allegedly served as a scam hub that trafficked workers, according to PAOCC and the Philippine National Police (PNP). In May, a court in Angeles City, Pampanga issued arrest warrants against Ong and several others for qualified human trafficking. The Bureau of Immigration placed her under an immigration lookout bulletin order, allowing authorities to monitor her movements but not detain her.

Casio said it is currently unclear whether Ong traveled to countries other than Japan. “We have to retrace everything regarding her movements,” he added, noting that the right to travel remains protected unless restricted by law.

“The right to travel is an invaluable human right, but only insofar as nothing prevents you from exercising it,” Casio said. He also said the government plans to coordinate with Japanese authorities through legal channels to obtain more information on Ong’s whereabouts.

Senator Risa Hontiveros expressed shock over Ong’s disappearance and urged authorities to cancel her passport immediately.

“Aside from the Interpol red notice, the government should cancel the passport of Cassie Ong and her accomplices. She is not a tourist,” Hontiveros said in Filipino. She stressed that authorities must exhaust all means to locate Ong and ensure she faces charges.

“Cassie Li Ong should not escape accountability. She is facing human trafficking charges—this is not a minor traffic violation that can be overlooked,” Hontiveros added.

Ong’s legal counsel, Atty. Ferdinand Topacio, admitted on Sunday that they have not been in contact with her “for some time now,” though he said his engagement as her lawyer continues.

“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. He also accused the government of using Ong’s case to “divert public attention” from issues such as the flood control scam.

Ong is accused of involvement in human trafficking linked to an illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator in Pampanga and is reportedly a business associate of former Bamban Mayor Alice Guo. She was last tracked in Japan following her release from detention during the Senate’s deliberations on the Department of Justice’s proposed 2026 budget.