Michael Yang's brother nabbed at NAIA

The brother of former presidential economic adviser Michael Yang has been arrested at the Terminal 3 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) has said.

Based on a mission order, Yang Jian Xin, also known as Tony Yang was nabbed by PAOCC and the Bureau of Immigration (BI) for being an undesirable alien.

BI officer-in-charge Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said that if found guilty, Yang will facedeportation and blacklisting.  However, deportation will only commence upon the resolution of all pending cases in the Philippines.

Laguna Rep. Dan Fernandez also disclosed the arrest at the hearing of the House quadcomm inquiry on the alleged illegal activities in Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO)

Fernandez said Tony Yang had been placed under the custody of the BI. He said Yang was a Chinese national “pretending to be a Filipino.”

The BI said that pursuant to a mission order it issued, Yang was arrested for "misrepresentation and undesirability."

"Yang has allegedly falsified information on SEC certification of Phil Sanjia Corporation.  He will also be charged for violation of Social Security Act and Republic Act 11223 or the Universal Healthcare ct for the non-remittance of SSS, PhilHealth and PagIbig contributions of Filipino employees of Sanjia Steel Corp," the BI said.

According to the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), Tony Yang is the leader of the brothers.

“Nag violate siya ng immigration laws dito so yun ang initial violation niya,” said PAOCC Usec. Gilbert Cruz in an interview.

“Yung estilo na ginawa niya is the same style na ginawa ni dating mayor Alice Guo na ginawa ni Cassandra Ong at yung ibang Chinese na nahuli natin na nagpa late registration ano at and then nagpalit sila ng pangalan,” he added.

The House said it was considering inviting Tony Yang to its series of hearings.

Yang is said to own the Philippine Sanjia Steel Corporation, which has a warehouse that was constructed in 2018 in Cagayan de Oro, the same time the POGO hubs in Bamban, Tarlac and Porac Pampanga were being built.

Usec. Cruz also said that, "May mga transactions kasi yan na ah sa mga pogos ano, kasi... lumalabas kasi talaga parang isang grupo lang sila eh, yung ah sa bamban, sa porac and then yung sa Cebu and now itong sa Cagayan de oro."

"Sa documents kasi, nagkabit kabit ano yung mga incorporators ahm... nakita namin yung incorporator dun sa isang pogo hub ay nakakabit naman sa ibang pogo hub and sadly hindi lang sila sa pogo talaga umikot ano, meron din silang mga names, may mga names kaming nakita even dun sa mga bodega kung saan nakahuli ng drugs, nakita pa rin yung mga pangalan nila don,” he added.

Cong. Fernandez flagged that the warehouse had a port that can easily transport goods.

“Most likely, some of those drugs entering our country pass through that port. Hiding in legitimate business,” Fernandez said.

Yang Jian Xin was previously invited to the House hearing in connection with the POGO at the Alwana compound in Cagayan de Oro, which he also owned. 

His brother Hongjiang Yang was alleged to have direct transactions with Baofu Land Development, which is a company of dismissed Bamban Mayor Alice Guo. 

Meanwhile, Michael Yang, former economic adviser to former President Rodrigo Duterte, has also been linked to illegal POGOs. —with reports from Celine Serquina, Jhomer Apresto/LDF/BAP, GMA Integrated News