Tony Yang tells how he used gov't property for storage

Businessman Tony Yang, brother of former economic adviser Michael Yang, on Tuesday said he rented an area in government-owned PHIVIDEC to store his steel products.

Yang issued the remark when questioned by Senator Risa Hontiveros regarding the identity of the person who gave him permission to store his private wares inside a government facility.

"This area by PHIVIDEC is the one that we rented... so that's why we are allowed to put in our products there," Yang said as translated during the Senate probe into illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators.

Yang said that he was in contact with an individual called "Tonghai" in PHIVIDEC.

For her part, Hontiveros said the Senate would invite PHIVIDEC for the next Senate hearing.

Yang earlier said his steel products were stored inside the factory of the Philippine Sanjia Steel Corp.

When asked further where the factory is located, Yang said it was in an "economic development area."

Senator Risa Hontiveros asked if the area was also called PHIVIDEC, which Yang affirmed.

GMA News Online has sought comment from PHIVIDEC but has yet to receive a response as of posting time. The PHIVIDEC Industrial Authority office in Metro Manila is located in Makati City, while its provincial office is in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental.

Yang, who is also known as Yang Jian Xin and Antonio Lim, was arrested by authorities last week at the Terminal 3 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

He has admitted to being born in China. He said his grandfather helped him to get a birth certificate and did this for "convenience for business" in the Philippines. — VDV, GMA Integrated News