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Panelo sees nothing wrong with Duterte, Yang meeting in China

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Mike Navallo, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2019/news/03/28/20190329-michael-yang-duterte.jpg"/><figcaption>Former economic adviser Michael Yang and President Rodrigo Duterte. File</figcaption></figure></div>ILOILO CITY- Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Thursday he sees nothing wrong with President Rodrigo Duterte&#x27;s reported meeting with former economic adviser Michael Yang in China during the time he was supposedly finalizing his decision to seek the presidency in 2015.Panelo said the President and Yang are friends and noted that there was no malice as to the reported meeting.&quot;[M]agkasama nga sila kasi magkaibigan sila pero no relation whatsoever,&quot; he said on the sidelines of the 17th Integrated Bar of the Philippines National Convention in Iloilo City Thursday.(They were together because they were friends but no relation whatsoever.)&quot;Kami rin ni Presidente pumupunta din sa iba-ibang lugar, magkasama, bago pa nagkaroon ng intention to run,&quot; he added.(The President and I also used to visit different places together before he ran for president.)Panelo instead twitted news website Rappler, which came out with the story on Duterte and Yang&#x27;s meeting in China.&quot;Kung magkaibigan man o magkakilala, baka naman nagkita lang sila roon. Pero ang problema d’yan sa Rappler, palagi silang, they’re injecting something. Masyadong malicious eh kaya nagrereact si Presidente sa kanila,&quot; he said.(It&#x27;s a possibility that they just saw each other there. The problem with Rappler is it&#x27;s like they&#x27;re injecting something. It&#x27;s too malicious that&#x27;s why the President is reacting.)Panelo also sees nothing wrong, assuming the President did visit companies Yang allegedly owned in Xiamen.&quot;Even assuming that to be true, anong masama dun (what&#x27;s wong with that)?&quot; he said.&quot;Kung nangyari &#x27;yun during the time na hindi pa siya kandidato, mayor pa siya, nagkataon lang na nagkita sila doon, baka ‘yung company gustong mag-invest sa Davao. So what’s wrong with that?,&quot; he asked.(If that happened during the time that he was still a mayor, it&#x27;s a possibility that they just saw each other there so maybe the company wanted to invest in Davao.)Questions about Yang&#x27;s status in government were raised after he was linked to illegal drugs by former police official Eduardo Acierto. The allegation was both denied by Malacañang and the Philippine National Police.It was also this week that Malacañang announced that the controversial Chinese businessman&#x27;s “one peso per annum contract” as Duterte&#x27;s adviser expired last Dec. 31, 2018.

ILOILO CITY- Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Thursday he sees nothing wrong with President Rodrigo Duterte's reported meeting with former economic adviser Michael Yang in China during the time he was supposedly finalizing his decision to seek the presidency in 2015.

ILOILO CITY- Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Thursday he sees nothing wrong with President Rodrigo Duterte's reported meeting with former economic adviser Michael Yang in China during the time he was supposedly finalizing his decision to seek the presidency in 2015.

Panelo sees nothing wrong with Duterte, Yang meeting in China

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Panelo sees nothing wrong with Duterte, Yang meeting in China

Mike Navallo,

ABS-CBN News

Published March 28, 2019 04:00 PM PHT

|

Updated March 28, 2019 07:45 PM PHT

Read More:

Michael Yang

Rodrigo Duterte

Salvador Panelo

China

Malacañang

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