Hontiveros questions Tony Yang's photos with ex-PNP chief Acorda

Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros on Tuesday questioned the photos of businessman Tony Yang with former Philippine National Police (PNP) Benjamin Acorda Jr.

Tony Yang is the brother of Michael Yang, an economic adviser during the Duterte administration.

During the continuation of the Senate investigation into illegal POGO hubs, Hontiveros showed photos of Tony Yang with three men, one of them was identified by Yang as Acorda.

"This photo is not actually a meeting. It's just us visiting the head of police in Cagayan during that time who is seated in the center... So my English is not very fluent but I call him Acola or Acoda," Yang said as translated.

Hontiveros and Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada affirmed that the photo was taken when Acorda was still a regional director of Region 10 (Northern Mindanao).

Asked if he knew Acorda for a long time already, Yang said, "When he was still in Cagayan, we know each other."

Apart from Acorda, Hontiveros also showed photos of Yang with retired General Lawrence Coop, former Regional Director for Northern Mindanao; Colonel Lemuel Gonda, Chief of the Regional Cybercrime Unit for Northern Mindanao; Colonel Aaron Mandia, former Cagayan City police director.

Yang confirmed to the Senate panel that he knew these PNP officers, and that they met through the Cagayan Business Federation.

Yang said they have opportunities to meet these PNP officials, especially when they need help for the "safety of their community."

Hontiveros also asked if Yang was close with former President Rodrigo Duterte. He said that he had a chance to be with the former chief executive in a "meeting with Chinese business groups" in Cagayan de Oro. He added that they had an opportunity to take a photo with the then-president.

"I am not very close with the former President Duterte and I don't have contact with him," Yang said, as relayed by a translator.

Arrest warrant

Hontiveros then asked Yang if he was aware of an arrest warrant issued against him for fraud, to which the latter answered in the negative.

"I am not aware," Yang said.

At this point, Hontiveros said government officials and law enforcers are aware of these warrants.

"'Yung mga law enforcement authorities namin, 'yung mga high officials namin sa gobyerno, alam nila 'yung mga bagay na 'yon (Our law enforcers and high government officials know about these warrants). So, in relation to the photos that I talked to you about, I really wonder what our high officials in government are doing, fraternizing with a wanted fugitive," Hontiveros said.

Condo rented by POGO

At the early part of the hearing, Yang said he does not have any current business related to POGOs.

However, Yang admitted that he has previously rented out a condominium unit to a POGO named Jiu Shui.  

Asked about him being named president of Oro One Corporation, which Hontiveros said was a service provider of a POGO linked to Lin Weixion or Alan Lim of Pharmally, Yang said he was not sure if it was the same company which used his name to apply for a business permit.

Hontiveros told Yang that he was a "high level" person which cannot be used as anyone's "dummy."

Yang maintained that his businesses are only involved in steel, rice, and tires.

Steel factory

However, the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) said there are indicators that Yang's steel factory houses POGO operations.

"Yung intel report po na nakarating sa akin and, of course, 'yung mga documents na nakita namin, it all points to a POGO operation," PAOCC Undersecretary Gilbert Cruz said.

(The intel report that reached us and, of course, the documents we've read all point to a POGO operation.)

Asked if Yang plays a major role in the criminal networks of POGO in Cagayan de Oro, Cruz said, "yes."

Cruz said Yang is the "silent but the thinking" one among the Yang brothers.

"Siya po ang parang nagpapatakbo ng mga businesses ng mga Yangs, pati po 'yung POGO business...They tried to establish yung parang kingdom nila [sa Cagayan de Oro]. Nakikita namin na parang hindi ka puwede magpasok ng business sa area na 'yun pag di ka dadaan sa kanya," Cruz said.

(He ran the businesses of the Yangs, including their POGO business... They tried to establish a kingdom of sorts in Cagayan de Oro. What we are seeing is that one cannot do business in that area if you don't pass through him.)

Born in China

In the same hearing, Yang confirmed that he is a Chinese who was born in China.

This statement prompted Hontiveros to question Yang's possession of a Philippine birth certificate.

According to Yang, it was his grandfather who helped him to get a birth certificate and did this for "convenience for business" in the Philippines.

Hontiveros quipped that Yang's story is similar to the case of former Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo, who was found to be using a birth certificate obtained through a registration process that was deemed "irregular."

"It looks to me, the birth certificate is fake," Hontiveros said.

Yang's Philippine birth certificate, which was presented by Hontiveros, showed that he was using the name Antonio Lim, born on Sept. 4, 1970, and born in Misamis Oriental.

The birth registration was applied on Sept. 6, 2004.

According to Yang, he arrived in the Philippines in 1998 or 1999 when he was around 26 years old.

However, Yang said he cannot speak Filipino or Bisaya, which is widely used in Cagayan de Oro. — VDV, GMA Integrated News