House of Representatives (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)

A House joint panel has uncovered a rather complex network of Chinese nationals allegedly involved in illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) and drug trafficking. 

In a hearing Wednesday, July 31, Santa Rosa City lone district Rep. Dan Fernandez presented a detailed matrix linking several Chinese nationals--including businessman and former presidential adviser Michael Yang--to both alleged illegal POGO activities and drug operations. 

Fernandez chairs the Committee on Public Order and Safety, which conducted the hearing in tandem with the Committee on Games and Amusements. Cavite 6th district Rep. Antonio Ferrer heads the latter panel. 

Yang, who once served as economic adviser to former president Rodrigo Duterte, is the subject of an arrest and detention order from the House of Representatives for refusing to appear at the hearing on his alleged involvement in a P3.6-billion drug bust in Mexico, Pampanga, last year. 

“It’s not only the criminal activities of POGOs and the corporations established by Chinese nationals, but also drugs are involved,” Fernandez declared. 

Fernandez began his presentation by referencing the extensive investigation initiated last year by the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs, chaired by Surigao del Norte 2nd district Rep. Robert Ace Barbers. 

The inquiry, launched through House Resolution (HR) No. 1346, focused on the P3.6-billion worth of "shabu" seized in the municipality of Mexico. 

This initial probe led to further inquiries by the Committee on Public Accounts, chaired by Abang Lingkod Party-list Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano, into properties acquired with the alleged connivance of local government units, implicating former Mexico Mayor Teddy Tumang and Mayor Abundio Punsalan Jr. of San Simon, both in the province of Pampanga. 

These investigations revealed that numerous hectares of land were being bought by corporations with incorporators who were Chinese nationals. 

Pointing to the matrix, Fernandez noted the interwoven criminal activities facilitated by POGOs and various corporations established by Chinese nationals. The matrix illustrated the connections between drug trafficking and these entities. 

Key figures in the matrix included Aedy Yang, an incorporator of Empire 999 Realty Inc., which purportedly owns the Mexico warehouse that Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) operatives raided. 

According to Fernandez, Aedy—along with Empire 999 co-incorporators Willie Ong and Jack Yang—had their passports revoked. 

Pharmally 

The matrix further detailed that Aedy is also an incorporator of Golden Sun 999 Realty & Development Corp., alongside Rose Nono Lin, married to Alan Lim. They are also linked to Full Win Group of Companies, chaired by Yang, who figured prominently as the financier of Pharmally. 

Pharmally was involved in a scandal over allegations of overpriced Covid-19 medical supplies it provided to the government during Duterte's Palace term. 

Fernandez said that Pharmally's incorporators include Lincoln Uy Ong and Gerald Cruz, the latter being a shareholder of Brickhartz Technologies, a support provider for Xionwei Technologies, a POGO owned by Weixiong Lin, also known as Alan Lim, who was allegedly involved in a 2003 shabu raid in Cavite. 

According to Fernandez, Michael’s brother, Hong Jiang Yang, is an incorporator of Paili State Group Corporation, along with Rose Nono Lin and Hong Ming Yang, believed to be another alias of Michael Yang. 

READ THIS: 

https://mb.com.ph/2024/7/31/michael-yang-s-arrest-order-signed-by-house-officials-but-where-is-he



'Ferret out the truth' 

Fernandez also drew attention to the findings of the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) that controversial Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo, who had 36 accounts, was involved in bank transactions amounting to P29 billion. 

He said it was established that Hong Jiang Yang, Michael Yang's brother, had transactions with Guo totaling P3.3 billion. The origin and destination of these funds remain unclear, he said. 

Fernandez questioned the relationship between these individuals and POGO operations, and emphasized the need to uncover the truth behind these extensive financial movements. 

He highlighted the involvement of other individuals like Wesley Guo and Cassandra Li Ong, whose connections to the Bamban mayor are still under investigation. 

"[The] instruction [to us] is to ferret out the truth and find out this linkage of the involvement of drugs," Fernandez stressed. 

He hailed that the joint efforts of various committee chairpersons in the bid to uncover the truth behind the nexus of drugs and POGO operations.