Yang Jian Xin, aka Tony Yang, on Tuesday, September 24 faced the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality on Tuesday, September 24 to answer senators’ questions regarding his alleged links to the human trafficking and other illegal activities of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator or POGOs in the country.
At the continuation of the Senate panel’s investigation into the POGO operations Yang, who is reportedly involved in the illegal online gaming facility allegedly owned by former Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo, also known as Guo Hua Ping, admitted to using multiple names while doing business transactions in the Philippines.
Aside from his real name, Tony Yang, admitted to using the name “Antonio Maestrado Lim”, “Antonio Lim,” even though his real name is Yang Jian Xin.
He admitted to using the name “Antonio Lim” in all government documents. “In the government documents I only used Antonio Lim and no other name,” Yang told the Senate committee in Mandarin which was translated by an interpreter.
According to Yang, he used an English name to start a business in the Philippines and when applying for business permits and other necessary documents.
However, Sen. Risa Hontiveros, head of the panel, rejected this saying Yang used different names on separate documents— “Yang Jian Xin” on his Alien Certificate of Registration, “Antonio Maestrado Lim” for a driver’s license, then only “Antonio Lim” for his tax identification number (TIN).
“Hindi totoo na isang pangalan lang ginagamit niyo, iniiba iba ninyo and you have profited from changing your name and nationality dito sa iba ibang submissions niyo at your convenience (It’s not true that you used just one name, you were using different names and you have profited from changing your name and nationality in your submissions at your convenience),” Hontiveros pointed out.
“You are only Filipino when it benefits you,” she said.
Tony Yang was arrested last Thursday, September 19 at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 for being an undesirable alien. Authorities were able to seize P1.4 million in cash, expensive items, a Chinese passport and a Philippine birth certificate bearing late registration from him when he was arrested.
Last July, Hontiveros disclosed a report from the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) linking Tony Yang to the raided POGO hub in Bamban, Tarlac.
Links to Pharmally
At the same time, Hontiveros exposed that Tony Yang is president of the company that is a service provider of a POGO hub linked to a Pharmally executive.
"A POGO associated with Tony Yang, Oro One Corporation, lists him as president,” she said.
Oro One Corp., according to Hontiveros, is the service provider of Xionwei which was the reversed name of Lin Weixion alias Alan Lim of Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp.
She said Xionwei uses an being used by another POGO— Brickhartz — whose papers were found in Bamban, Tarlac.
“Mukhang iisang (It appears to be a single) network – o happy Pharmally – lang talaga ito (after all),” Hontiveros said.
Tony Yang, however denied this saying he has no POGO business “at the moment.“
For Hontiveros, there is a “connection” among Tony Yang, Alice Guo, Sual, Pangasinan Mayor Liseldo “Dong” Calugay; and several other persons of interest in connection with the operations of illegal POGOs.
Born in China
Also during the hearing, Tony Yang, admitted that he is a Chinese national, born in Fukien province.
Tony Yang also claimed that it was his maternal grandfather, who died 10 years ago, who was able to help him obtain a Philippine birth certificate with delayed registration, a matter which Sen. Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada rejected.
Estrada noted it was convenient for Tony Yang to use his grandfather because he is already dead: “How can they answer our questions?”
Sen. Joel Villanueva lamented how Yang’s fake Philippine documents allowed him to “wreak havoc” in the country, noting he was able to obtain a TIN, birth certificate, driver’s license and an alien certificate registration despite being unable to talk in Tagalog or Bisaya.
Ex-PNP chiefs slam Pagcor official’s claim
Meanwhile, former Philippine National Police (PNP) chiefs condemned the claim of a Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) Senior Vice President Raul Villanueva, that one of them was on the payroll of Alice Guo.
This was according to a statement by the Council of Chiefs read by Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa during the hearing.
"This is a sweeping accusation which maligns and brings dishonor to all of us, former Chiefs, who have dedicated the best years of our lives in the service of the Filipino nation," the statement read.
"Although we are now retired, we continuously uphold our integrity to the highest standards and our solemn pledge to serve and protect our country and people," it added.
It also stated that as a retired Brigadier General himself, schooled in the Philippine Military Academy's tradition of producing an "Officer and a Gentleman", it is incumbent upon Villanueva, in the interest of transparency, fairness and justice, to identify this rogue former PNP chief to clear the names of those not involved.
"However, if the information turns out false after validating the report, we hereby demand a public apology, no less, from the same officer," it added.
During the hearing, Villanueva told Dela Rosa he dismissed the information as a rumor since he does not have any confirmation at all as well as any verified data on the claim.
"It's just unfortunate sir na di pa confirmed 'tong mga initial information that's why unconfirmed information is considered not an intelligence data, not actionable at all. Therefore, it's not yet valid," he said.
Dela Rosa said that information as sensitive as what he offered to the committee should be taken seriously by the source of the information.
"Dapat you should have gained a lesson learned from the previous hearing that whenever mayroon tayong information na unvalidated ay dapat di natin basta-bastang i-share sa publiko because it will ruin the reputation of other people na pwedeng ma-malign (You should have learned a lesson from the previous hearing that whenever we have unverified information, we shouldn't recklessly share it with the public because it can ruin the reputation of others who might be unfairly maligned)," he added.
Villanueva then apologized to the former PNP chiefs if his recent disclosure gave the wrong impression.
The senator thanked him for being an "officer and gentleman enough" to admit that he somehow made the mistake in disclosing that information.
Meanwhile, during the hearing, Hontiveros stated that the contempt order against Alice's sibling Shiela Guo, is lifted.
"Sheila Guo, the contempt order on you is lifted, and I direct the OSAA (Office of the Sergeant-At-Arms) transfer your custody to the Bureau of Immigration pursuant to the Mission Order issued by the Bureau against you," she said.