The House of Representatives ordered the arrest and detention of former presidential adviser Michael Yang, also known as Hong Ming Yang, in connection with his alleged involvement in a P3.6-billion drug bust in Mexico, Pampanga last year.
This development follows House Secretary General Reginald Velasco’s signing of the contempt order issued by the House committee on dangerous drugs against Yang for his repeated failure to appear before the panel to address his alleged involvement in the controversy.
House Sergeant-at-Arms retired Gen. Napoleon Taas and his team served the arrest order at Fortun Law Offices at 134 CRM Avenue, BF Homes Almanza, Las Piñas City.
Yang, an adviser to former President Rodrigo Duterte, was linked to an incorporator of Empire 999 Realty Corp., which owns the warehouse in Mexico town where the P3.6 billion worth of shabu was seized.
During a hearing held on July 10, the House panel determined that Yang violated Section 11 of the Rules of Procedure Governing Inquiries in Aid of Legislation of the 19th Congress, which refers to “refusal without legal excuse to obey summons.”
The committee, chaired by Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, also ordered Yang’s detention at Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan, Taguig City for 30 days, pursuant to Section 12 of the same rules.
In a press conference on Wednesday, Barbers revealed that Yang might have left the country.
Barbers said his committee will coordinate with the Bureau of Immigration and the Department of Foreign Affairs to alert other countries about the arrest order.
Yang was invited to the hearing after Lincoln Ong, a Pharmally official and an alleged associate of Yang, was found to be an incorporator of a company with links to Empire 999 and other firms.
According to Barbers, Yang’s testimony is deemed crucial in unraveling the complex web of illegal drug smuggling activities linked to Empire 999.
Members of two committees of the House of Representatives on Wednesday earlier grilled Duterte administration spokesman Harry Roque about his alleged connection to illegal POGOs.
Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel told Roque during the hearing that his name has been dragged in at least two recent cases involving suspected POGO operators.
He said one case was the raid by the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) and other law enforcement authorities on a house in Benguet in which two Chinese nationals and a female Chinese renter were arrested for alleged involvement in illegal gambling.
Manila Rep. Joel Chua urged Roque to be honest about his ties to two foreign nationals arrested in a house in Tuba, Benguet, owned by a company where he is an incorporator.
Roque admitted during a recent Senate hearing that he had an “interest” in the corporation that owns the property where two Chinese nationals linked to an illegal POGO in Bamban, Tarlac were arrested for alleged visa violations.
Roque refuted claims that he served as counsel for any illegal POGO or the Lucky South 99 Inc.
Senator Robin Padilla meanwhile said the government must make public its plans to help an estimated 40,000 Filipino workers who will be displaced by the closure of POGOs.
He filed Senate Resolution 1091 to hold an inquiry on the matter.
