Surigao del Norte 2nd district Rep. Robert Ace Barbers (Rep. Barbers’ Facebook)

Surigao del Norte 2nd district Rep. Robert Ace Barbers flagged on Wednesday, May 22, the 291 “titled” land acquisitions in Metro Manila and Central Luzon by suspected Chinese drug lord as Willie Ong, along with his realty firm and associates.

Barbers, chairman of the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs, said Ong’s Empire 999 Realty Corporation is the owner of the warehouse in Mexico, Pampanga where P3.6 billion worth of "shabu" were seized last year.

According to the lawmaker, Ong and his Chinese associates identified as Aedi Tai Yang, Jack Tai Yang, Mischelle Santos Sy, Elaine Chua, among others, were able to register their firm with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) using fake Philippine passports and other government-issued identification cards.

“Ong and his associates posed as Filipinos in conducting real estate business in our country and this is not allowed under our laws,” he stressed.

Citing data from the Land Registration Authority (LRA), Barbers said Empire 999 has acquired 41 titled land holdings; Ong with 59; Aedi Tai Yang, 11; Jack Tai Yang, 15; Mischelle Santos Sy, 53; Elain Chua 92; Albert Valdez Sy, 6; Na Wong, 1; Ana Ong, 5; Cai Quimeng, the Chinese name of Willie Ong, 6; and James Valdez, 2.

“Marami, 291 lahat and mga pag-aari ni Mr. Ong at ng kanyang mga kasama, at kailangan natin na maipaalam sa publiko na kwestyonable ang mga ito at upang mabigyan din ng proteksyon ang sinuman na kanilang pagbebentahan nito,” he said.  

(Mr. Ong and his associates own a lot, 291 in all, and we need to make it known to the public that these are questionable and also to provide protection to anyone they sell these to.)

The Mindanaoan solon said he would ask the Department of Justice (DOJ), or any of the concerned government agencies, to file an “adverse claim” against these real estate properties before Ong and his associates could sell them in haste, thus protecting would-be buyers in the future.

“Also, kailangan din natin malaman kung paano nila binili ang mga properties na ito, gaano kalalaki ang mga ito, binayaran ba nila ang mga ito ng (we also need to know how they bought these properties, how big they are, if they paid for them in) cash, through the banks, o gumamit sila ng (or if they used) laundered money that are proceeds from their drug business or other illegal transactions,” added Barbers.

Empire 999 Realty firm, Ong, and his associates reportedly have land holding acquisitions in Mexico, San Fernando, and Angeles City in Pampanga; Nueva Ecija, Cabanatuan City, Aurora Province, Bulacan, Cavite City, Tagaytay City, Iloilo City, Lingayen, Pangasinan, Mandaue City, Lapu-lapu City, Valenzuela City, Quezon City, Rizal, Muntinlupa City, Taguig City, Makati City, Malabon, Paranaque City, Manila City, Davao del Norte, Isulan, Sultan Kudarat, and Tabuk, Kalinga, Apayao.

During a previous hearing, Ong and his associates were found to be linked to the various companies created by another suspected Chinese drug lord, Michael Yang.

Considered to be a close friend of former president Rodrigo Duterte, Yang was appointed as presidential economic adviser during Duterte’s term.