Former economic adviser to ex-President Rodrigo Duterte Michael Yang (Zoom screenshot)

The House Committee on Dangerous Drugs issued a show-cause order to Chinese businessman Michael Yang--a former economic adviser of ex-President Rodrigo Duterte--in a bid to compel him to appear in the hearing on his alleged involvement in the confiscation of P3.6 billion worth of ilegal drugs in Mexico, Pampanga last year.

During the hearing on Wednesday, May 22, Santa Rosa City lone district Rep. Dan Fernandez initially moved to issue a subpoena against Yang.

Lawyer Raymond Fortun, Yang's legal counsel, told the House panel that the businessman has been "busy".  Yang has left the country eight times since October 2023 the lawyer said.

Fernandez found this reason as “not acceptable”, hence he urged the issuance of a subpoena to compel Yang to attend.

Abang Lingkod Party-list Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano, meanwhile, moved to issue a show-cause order with respect to the traditional conduct of a committee probe and to prevent allegations of railroading.

“it is just proper so we will not be accused of violating due process. We should issue before issuing a subpoena, we should issue first a show-cause order,” said Paduano.

In a vote of six members to one——with Fernandez in sole opposition——the House panel approved the issuance of a show-cause order to the former economic adviser.

Considered to be a close friend of former president Duterte, Yang was invited by the panel to shed light on his web of corporations involved in Empire 999 and its interlocking incorporators.

The company owns the warehouse where the P3.6 billion worth of "shabu" was seized.

“Ang aming theory ay nagkakaroon ng mga shell companies na ino-organize and they intertwine. Ibig sabihin, yung incorporator sa company A ganun din yung incorporator sa B, sa C, sa D, sa E, hanggang sa nakita natin na mayroong pattern,” Surigao del Norte 2nd district Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, the panel chairperson, explained.

(Our theory is that there are shell companies that are organized and they intertwine. That is, the incorporator in company A is also the incorporator in B, in C, in D, in E, until we saw that there is a pattern.)

During a press conference on Tuesday, Barbers warned that if Yang and his associates fail to heed the show-cause orders, the panel will issue arrest warrants.

“If they refuse and ignore the show-cause order, we have no other recourse but to issue a warrant against them,” the congressman said.

“Hindi pa naman namin sila inaakusahan. Ang aming panawagan sa kanila ay pumunta sila, mag-attend sila ng hearing, magbigay linaw doon sa issue na kung saan kinasasangkutan ng kanilang kumpanya o kinasasangkutan nila dun sa usapin ng droga,” he added.

(We have not accused them yet. Our appeal to them is that they attend the hearing, and clarify the issue in which their company or themselves are involved in the drug issue.)

Barbers cautioned Yang and his associates that if they fail to attend, some members of his panel may conclude that “flight is indicative of guilt”.