Michael Yang, a Chinese businessman and an ex-economic adviser of former President Rodrigo Duterte (Zoom screenshot)

The House Committee on Dangerous Drugs on Wednesday, July 10, cited Chinese businessman Michael Yang, a former economic adviser of ex-president Rodrigo Duterte, in contempt for once again snubbing the hearing on the confiscation of P3 billion worth of illegal drugs in Mexico, Pampanga last year.

The committee issued a subpoena to Yang last month to compel him to appear in the hearing.

“And yet today, when he was supposed to appear pursuant to that subpoena, Mr. Yang is not present,” said Antipolo City 2nd district Rep. Romeo Acop.

“And pursuant also to our protocols in our inquiry in aid of legislation, if a person does not appear pursuant to his subpoena then we can move, if we have a quorum, to cite that person in contempt,” he added.

The panel chairperson, Surigao del Norte 2nd district Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, then informed Acop that the panel has a quorum of 10 lawmakers in face-to-face and in Zoom.

“I move then, Mr. Chair, that we cite Mr. Michael Yang in contempt for continually being absent in spite of the subpoena, in spite of the invitation given him,” said Acop.

In accordance with the rules of the House of Representatives, specifically Section 11 of the rules of procedure governing inquiries in aid of legislation, the committee may punish any person for contempt by a vote of two-thirds of the members present.

According to Barbers, Yang is in violation of Paragraph A of this said section, specifically for his “refusal without legal excuse to obey summons”.

Acop’s motion was approved without any objection.

With this, Abang Lingkod Party-list Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano motioned to detain Yang for 30 days at the Bicutan City Jail.

The panel has yet to finalize the length of detention to be imposed on Yang.  

The company owns the Pampanga warehouse where the P3 billion worth of illegal drugs were confiscated. 

Through its previous hearings, the panel found out that Empire 999 and other alleged shell companies were involved in anomalous activities. 

These companies were reportedly owned by Chinese nationals who used fabricated documents to appear as Filipino citizens, including Yang’s interpreter Lincoln Ong.

Yang was represented in Wednesday's hearing by his counsel, lawyer Raymond Fortun, who revealed that his client was currently in Dubai.

According to Fortun, he last met Yang in person two years ago. He explained that his client was “very difficult to speak with directly”, since the latter “only speaks Chinese”.

With this, Santa Rosa City lone district Rep. Dan Fernandez moved to excuse Fortun from his involvement in Wednesday’s hearing.

This motion was also swiftly approved.

Fernandez also stressed that the Bureau of Immigration (BI), Department of Justice (DOJ), Philippine National Police (PNP), and even the Interpol should be given a heads-up on the panel's decision to cite Yang in contempt.