Lawyer denies Tony Yang's involvement in ‘criminal network’

MANILA — Chinese businessman Tony Yang's legal team has pushed back against allegations from the House quad comm — four committees holding joint hearings into issues related to the Duterte administration, including Philippine Overseas Gaming Operators —  with his lawyer raising questions on the fairness of the proceedings.

Yang, who has admitted having a Philippine birth certificate despite being a Chinese national, is the brother of Michael Yang, a presidential economic adviser when Rodrigo Duterte was president.

“I am very interested in how they can prove this criminal network in court,” lawyer Raymond Fortun said.

He added that the conduct of the House members conducting the high-profile probe is unacceptable.

“In Congress, lawmakers act as both prosecutor and judge,” he said.

Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr. of Pampanga and Deputy Speaker David Suarez of Quezon presented their supposed matrix during Yang's first appearance at the quad committee hearing last Friday.

“Nung nakita po namin ang pattern ay sinundan namin pataas ang mga korporasyon na ito, stripped it of its layers, to get to the top and through it all, we have discovered and identified at least two main actors or players in the issue of illegal drugs and illegal activities associated with POGOs,” Suarez said Friday.

The matrix allegedly showed Yang’s connections to other individuals involved in illegal activities, including the operations of POGOs (Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators).

Among the companies implicated is Brickhartz Technology Inc., which has allegedly been involved in several kidnapping cases and is linked to Xionwei Technology Co. Ltd., a POGO operation connected to Lim.

These two companies are also reportedly tied to the Baofu Compound in Bamban, Tarlac, associated with dismissed mayor Alice Guo.

Yang and Lim are also allegedly linked to Lucky South 99, represented by Cassandra Li Ong.

The matrix also detailed the alleged links between the Yang brothers' businesses and the enterprises of businessman Allan Lim.

Lim is married to Rose Nono Lin, a former candidate for congresswoman of Quezon City and whom Suarez said“is an incorporator of at least eight companies involving Michael Yang”. 

Rose Nono Lin's candidacy in 2022 was derailed by allegations of vote-buying and because of links to the controversial Pharmally Pharmaceuticals firm investigated for alleged irregularities in the procurement of pandemic response supplies.

Quad comm members on Friday cited Tony Yang in contempt for "lying" to them about his businesses and business partners.

He was to be detained at the Quezon City jail, but he Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission requested that he be detained at the PAOCC Temporary Detention Facility instead.