By Junex Doronio

MANILA – Fresh allegations have linked former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and his former economic adviser Michael Yang to the illegal drug trade through an affidavit presented to the House Quad Committee, revealing their ties to a 2004 raid on a clandestine shabu laboratory in Dumoy, Davao City.

The raid, conducted during Duterte’s tenure as Davao City mayor, uncovered over 100 kilos of high-grade shabu worth ₱300 million, the largest drug bust of its time.

In her sworn affidavit submitted during Thursday’s hearing, Jed Pilapil Sy, wife of suspected drug lord Allan Sy and owner of the Dumoy property that was later revealed to be a shabu lab, detailed the events leading to her husband’s mysterious disappearance and her eventual conviction.

Jed recounted a harrowing incident on December 31, 2004, involving a confrontation with then-Mayor Duterte. She described Duterte visiting her home, visibly enraged, and demanding her husband’s whereabouts.

“Noong araw din na ‘yun, mga bandang 9:30 ng gabi, pinuntahan ako ni Mayor Duterte at hinahanap niya ang asawa ko sa aming bahay sa Arlene apartment kung saan kami umuupa. Tinanong ko si Mayor Duterte kung bakit niya hinahanap ang asawa ko, ang sabi lang niya ‘basta, galit na galit ako sa kanya,’” Jed recalled.

She added, “Ako ay nagtataka at nagulat, at dahil dito tinanong ko si Mayor Duterte kung mayroon po bang kasalanan ang asawa ko sa kanya. Inulit lang ni Mayor Duterte na ‘basta, galit na galit ako sa kanya.’”

Duterte reportedly provided her with security and warned her not to leave the house, but there was no follow-up.

Hours later, Jed learned from a friend that the Dumoy property had been raided.

“Makalipas ng ilang oras, tumawag ang isa sa mga kaibigan ng asawa ko para sabihin sa akin na ako daw ay manood ng telebisyon dahil na-raid daw ang Dumoy at nandoon ang asawa ko at may mga namatay,” Jed said. “Noong pagkabukas ko ng telebisyon, napanuod ko ang news tungkol sa Dumoy raid at may mga napaslang.”

The Dumoy raid was the last reported sighting of Allan Sy. Jed lamented that she still does not know if her husband is alive or dead. She, her brother Jong Pilapil, and others were arrested the following day and sentenced to life imprisonment, which has been upheld by the Supreme Court.

The affidavit further implicated Michael Yang, linking him to the Sy family’s business dealings through his DCLA Plaza in Davao City.

“Ang DCLA Plaza na pagmamay-ari ni Hong Ming ay naging display area namin ng foam,” she said, referring to Yang by his Chinese name, Hong Ming Yang. When shown a photo, Jed identified Yang as a close friend of her husband.

These statements align with those of dismissed Police Col. Eduardo Acierto, who previously accused Duterte of shielding Yang and another suspected drug lord, Allan Lim (alias Lin Weixiong). Acierto alleged that Yang operated drug labs in Mindanao, including the Dumoy facility, since the early 2000s.

“Michael Yang, alias ‘Dragon,’ was heavily involved in manufacturing and distributing illegal drugs,” Acierto told lawmakers, citing intelligence reports compiled in 2017.

Acierto claimed Yang provided shipping documents for illegal drugs seized during a 2005 raid in Cagayan de Oro City. He submitted a detailed matrix of this information to then-PNP Chief Ronald Dela Rosa, former PDEA Director Aaron Aquino, and Police Deputy Director General Camilo Cascolan. The report was forwarded to Dela Rosa’s successor, former PNP Chief Oscar Albayalde, but was reportedly ignored.

Acierto accused Dela Rosa of inaction, claiming he chose to meet with suspected drug lord Allan Lim instead. Following this, Acierto himself was accused of drug involvement by Duterte.

In October 2018, Duterte publicly named Acierto as a police official linked to the drug trade. By 2019, Acierto went into hiding after being implicated in smuggling ₱11 billion worth of drugs concealed in magnetic lifters.

In prior testimony before the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs, Acierto alleged that Duterte ordered his execution due to investigations into Yang and Lim, associates of then-Special Assistant to the President, now Senator Christopher “Bong” Go.

“Pinapapatay po ako ni Duterte dahil tinutukan ko at pinaiimbestigahan ko si Michael Yang at Allan Lim na malapit na kaibigan ni Bong Go,” Acierto claimed.

Ia/mnm

By Junex Doronio

MANILA — A joint inquiry by the House Committees on Public Order and Safety and on Games and Amusements has unveiled a complex network involving Chinese nationals, including Michael Yang, former presidential adviser to ex-president Rodrigo Roa Duterte, linked to illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) and drug trafficking.

During Wednesday’s hearing, Santa Rosa City Rep. Dan Fernandez presented a detailed matrix linking several Chinese nationals, the most prominent of whom was Yang, to both alleged illegal POGO activities and drug operations.

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

Yang is now the subject of an arrest and detention order from the House for refusing to appear at the hearing on his alleged involvement in a P3.6-billion drug bust in Mexico, Pampanga, last year.

Fernandez’s panel and the Committee on Games and Amusements, chaired by Cavite 6th District Rep. Antonio Ferrer, have been investigating the proliferation of criminal activities  with illegal POGOs.

The lawmaker from Santa Rosa City 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 investigation, 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.

Tumang and Punsalan could not be reached for comment.

Key figures in the matrix included Aedy Yang, an incorporator of Empire 999 Realty Inc., which purportedly owns the warehouse where the P3.6 billion worth of shabu was seized by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).

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

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.

It can be recalled that Pharmally was involved in a scandal over allegations of overpriced medical supplies it supplied to the government during Duterte’s term for the response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines.

Fernandez noted 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.

He added that 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.

Fernandez also drew attention to the findings of the Anti-Money Laundering Council 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.

However, the origin and destination of these funds remain unclear, Fernandez further noted.

“Come to think of it, P29 billion si Alice Guo pa lang ‘yan at umikot sa kanyang 36 accounts. So what more to the others?” the lawmaker wondered aloud.

(ia/mnm)

By Liezelle Soriano

MANILA — The House Committee on Dangerous Drugs has cited former presidential economic adviser Michael Yang in contempt and ordered his arrest after he failed to attend congressional hearings on the investigation of a drug bust in Mexico, Pampanga.

“In view of the attached CONTEMPT ORDER issued by the Committee on Dangerous Drugs on 10 July 2024 against HONG MING YANG a.k.a. MICHAEL YANG, you are hereby ordered to TAKE INTO CUSTODY and DETAIN HONG MING YANG a.k.a. MICHAEL YANG for contempt of the House of Representatives for a period not exceeding thirty (30) days pursuant to the said Rules Governing Inquiries in Aid of Legislation of the 19th Congress,” the detention order read.

Committee chairperson Surigao del Norte Rep. Ace Barbers and House Secretary General Reginald Velasco signed the order.

“We invited him to shed light and probably deny his involvement, but he never appeared before the committee and never took advantage of the invitation. Since he did not attend, and pursuant to our rules, we have to issue show cause orders. Even after the show cause orders were issued, and non-appearance continued, we are compelled to issue the arrest order against him,” Barbers said.

According to records, Yang left Manila for Dubai on May 12.

Despite this, Barbers said that the arrest order will alert authorities to locate Yang as “he will definitely be using his own passport.”

(el Amigo/mnm)