MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court has dismissed a petition seeking to stop Senate and House of Representatives committees from hearings investigating Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs). In a decision penned by Associate Justice Jhosep Lopez, the Supreme Court En Banc affirmed the constitutional authority of Congress to conduct inquiries in aid of legislation, reinforcing that this power includes citing individuals for contempt and ordering arrest to compel attendance or testimony. The case stemmed from separate 2024 investigations by the Senate and the House into illegal activities linked to POGOs. Katherine Cassandra Li Ong , who was connected to raided POGO facilities in Pampanga and Tarlac, was invited as a resource person by both chambers. During a hearing conducted by the House quad-committee, Ong initially refused to answer questions, alleging she was at one point physically separated from her lawyer. She later sent letters to both the Senate tri-committee (Tricomm) and the Quadcomm, stating she would no longer attend the hearings and invoking her right to remain silent. Ong subsequently filed a petition with the Supreme Court, accusing the congressional committees of violating her right against self-incrimination and her right to counsel, and of abusing their power. The Court rejected Ong's arguments, clarifying that the right against self-incrimination may only be invoked in response to a specific incriminating question—not as a blanket refusal to testify. It also ruled that while an accused in a criminal case may refuse to testify entirely, a resource person in a legislative inquiry cannot refuse to appear, though they may decline to answer particular questions that would incriminate them. Regarding her right to counsel, the Court stated that this applied only during custodial investigations of a crime suspect, not to individuals invited as resource persons in a legislative inquiry.