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Businessman Michael Yang (second from right) accompanies President Rodrigo Duterte and members of his delegation in Beijing, China on Oct.19, 2016. Toto Lozano, Malacanang Photo/File

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Michael Yang

Vivienne Gulla

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:900px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17205924385361720592434370.png" style="width:900px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left"><span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(51, 51, 51);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">Businessman Michael Yang (second from right) accompanies President Rodrigo Duterte and members of his delegation in Beijing, China on Oct.19, 2016. Toto Lozano, Malacanang Photo/File</span> </span></span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">MANILA – The House Committee on Dangerous Drugs on Wednesday cited Michael Yang in contempt for his repeated failure to attend its hearings into the P3.6-billion illegal drugs seized in Pampanga last year. </span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Yang, an economic adviser of former President Rodrigo Duterte, was being linked to corporations allegedly connected with Empire 999 Realty Corp, which owns the warehouse in Mexico, Pampanga where the shabu was seized.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Antipolo City Second District Rep. Romeo Acop made the motion to cite Yang in contempt. It was approved by the panel without objections.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“His last travel was May 12, 2024… Manila to Dubai. These travel dates were never updated. May we ask the Immigration, the DOJ, the Interpol if possible, and the PNP to be aware of the decision of this committee with regard to the contempt that we issued,” House Committee on Public Order and Safety Chairperson and Santa Rosa City Rep. Dan Fernandez said.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“We will ask the committee secretary to closely coordinate with the agencies involved in the implementation of the contempt and the penalties thereof pursuant to the rules of the House of Representatives,” Committee Chairperson and Surigao del Norte Second District Rep. Robert Ace Barbers replied. </span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Abang Lingkod party-list Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano moved to detain Yang in Bicutan City Jail for 30 days once arrested.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/31/21/duterte-defends-michael-yang-as-senate-probe-looms">READ: Duterte defends trader with alleged ties to pandemic supplier </a></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">During Wednesday’s hearing, former police official Eduardo Acierto testified virtually and claimed that two of his informants previously linked Yang to illegal drugs. </span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Acierto said he was in hiding due to fears for his safety.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt">The<span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none"> Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in 2019 said it found no evidence to establish Yang&#x27;s alleged links to the illegal drug trade. </span></p><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/><span id="isPasted">The agency had said <span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">the &quot;Michael Yang&quot; identified in Acierto&#x27;s intelligence report hailed from Pangasinan, not Davao.</span> </span></div><div><br/><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/27/19/pdea-clears-ex-duterte-aide-of-drug-involvement-amid-expos">PDEA clears ex-Duterte aide of drug involvement amid exposé</a></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><strong>MULTIPLE NAMES</strong></span></div><div><br/></div><div><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Meanwhile, Batangas Second District Rep. Gerville Luistro called for a law that would restrict foreign nationals from using multiple names, after Acierto reported that some Chinese personalities involved in illegal drugs are using more one name.</span><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"></span><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"></span><br/><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"></span><br/><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“It is difficult for us to establish their identity and locate their whereabouts,” she said. </span><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"></span><br/><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"></span><br/><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">The panel plans to invite former Sen. Richard Gordon, former national police chief Oscar Albayalde, and former Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Chiefs Aaron Aquino and Wilkins Villanueva to the next hearing. </span></div>

<p>A House committee cited Michael Yang in contempt for his repeated failure to attend its hearings into the P3.6-billion illegal drugs seized in Pampanga last year.</p>

A House committee cited Michael Yang in contempt for his repeated failure to attend its hearings into the P3.6-billion illegal drugs seized in Pampanga last year.

House panel cites Michael Yang in contempt over repeated failure to attend hearings

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House panel cites Michael Yang in contempt over repeated failure to attend hearings

Vivienne Gulla,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jul 10, 2024 02:49 PM PHT

Read More:

House of Representatives

Michael Yang

Rodrigo Duterte

illegal drugs

war on drugs

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