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'Michael Yang's asso are now hiding'
By Nidz Godino
"Yang's associates never showed up at committee hearings...even NBI ,National Bureau of Investigation could not locate them…there is saying that flight is indicative of guilt," Surigao del Norte second district congressman Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, chairman of the House committee on dangerous drugs said associates of former president Rodrigo Duterte's economic adviser Michael Yang, who is being investigated by House committee for drug links, may have all gone into hiding after being found to have faked their identities and used spurious documents to acquire vast landholdings in the country.
Barbers said Chinese nationals "pretended to be Filipinos" so they could engage in property buying binge, most likely for their illegal activities like drug trafficking.
"If they are really innocent, we urge them to come out and explain their roles in labyrinth they created," Barbers said, referring to Yang's allies Aedy Yang, Henry Yang and Elaine Chua, among others.
"I always say we have no problems with Chinese nationals doing legitimate business in our country…but doing these illegal drug activities is another story…we have extended all invitations to these people and we have observed due process,..using fictitious documents and corporations," he said.
Barbers said Chinese "went on buying sprees and allegedly bought hundreds and possibly thousands of hectares of agricultural and residential lands" in Ilocos region during previous Duterte administration.
"They have also "started building warehouses,these very suspicious activities have stopped as soon as we started investigations…so now, they again resorted to hiding these assets by 'selling' them to other Chinese nationals…we promise that we will leave no stone unturned in getting to the bottom truth of this mess," Barbers said.
He also said there is nothing new about Yang's alleged drug connections, particularly to P3 billion worth of shabu seized in Mexico, Pampanga in 2023.
"Connection of alleged drug lord Michael Yang to these drug activities is no surprise…remember that in the past administration, he was named by top official of PNP,Philippine National Police who was then tasked to investigate illegal drug activities, it was discovered that the one on top of drug trade was Michael Yang," Barbers recalled.
Over the weekend, Barbers disclosed they would invite Yang to their next hearing so he could shed light on his alleged links to Pampanga drug bust, conducted jointly by agents of NBI and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).
Empire 999, company that owns warehouse where drugs were stored, was found to be owned by Chinese nationals who also control other shell companies, together with other personalities earlier linked to anomalous activities during past administration.
In investigation conducted last May 8, Lincoln Ong, controversial figure in Pharmally scandal and interpreter of Michael Yang was found to be incorporator of company with links to Empire 999.
Meanwhile, members of Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs chaired by Sen. Ronald dela Rosa continue to question credibility of former PDEA agent's testimony on leaked documents linking President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.and other officials to drugs.
One of the bosses of former PDEA agent Jonathan Morales even mockingly called him STL or "professional storytelling liar."
"One of the lessons I learned in law school is legal maxim that he who alleges has burden to prove this…apart from Morales' statement, what other evidence did he present…nothing," Sen. Jinggoy Estrada said at hearing of committee.
Sen. Francis Escudero said issues discussed in the hearing were far from scope of so-called PDEA leaked documents.
"I'm sorry, I've been really patient, but this has absolutely nothing to do with Batangas drug haul and nothing to do with PDEA leaks… something former agent Morales has probably against former PDEA chief General Arturo Cacdac or probably has something against former PDEA chief General Felizardo Serapio," Escudero said.
Surprise witness introduced by Estrada, former PDEA chief Dionisio Santiago questioned credibility of Morales.
"Don't take this badly, Jonathan, but do you know our friends call you STL…don't forget, STL, they know you personally..what is STL… I know it's small town lottery, but it's professional story telling liar, STL," Santiago said.
At the hearing, Estrada reminded Morales of his criminal records and that he had misrepresented himself when he filled out application form as PDEA agent where he indicated he had not been criminally charged.
Estrada also noted July 7, 2014 decision of Civil Service Commission affirming PDEA's decision to dismiss Morales and disqualify him "from reemployment in government service."
But Morales retorted case against him has not yet been proven in court, "unlike our good senator Estrada who's already convict."
Dela Rosa interrupted Morales to ask him to respect Estrada.
Cacdac confirmed Morales had admitted planting evidence in drug bust operation.
Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri urged his colleagues to "be very careful" and make sure committee's motu proprio hearings would not be used for political persecution.
"We respect committees' right to perform oversight functions, in aid of legislation…however, we would like to remind our colleagues to be very careful not to use hearings in aid of political persecution," Zubiri later told reporters.
"Very serious accusations have been made…whether they have merit or not is whole other matter, while certain claims were made, documentary evidence is yet to be presented. .. no pictures, no corroborating testimonies…in other words, this was solely based on testimony of one person based on what appears to be hearsay evidence," Zubiri added.
"Morales cited document he claims to have seen, by virtue of his former position, although he did not personally witness any wrongdoing… drug test of the President is being brought up, even though it does not appear to be germane to the subject of motu proprio investigation, under court of law, guilt must be proven beyond reasonable doubt…while legislative inquiries are very liberal in terms of adhering to rules of evidence, it is our opinion that hearings should aim to ferret out truth using evidence and facts, there have been instances when statements were made in legislative inquiries, only to be recanted before courts later on…we do not want repeat of that ," Zubiri pointed out.
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