THE House of Representatives has formally 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 “Reggie” S. 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 Police Maj. Gen. Napoleon “Nap” Taas and his team, served the arrest order at Fortun and Santos Law Offices at 134 CRM Ave., 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 P3.6 billion worth of shabu was seized.
During a hearing held on July 10, the House panel determined that Yang had violated paragraph (a) of 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 2nd District 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, Barbers revealed that Yang might have left the country.
“We were informed na ang subject ng arrest order ay wala na ho rito. ‘Yung last information that we have, he is in Dubai,” he said.
Barbers said his committee will coordinate with the Bureau of Immigration and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to alert other countries about the arrest order.
“Itong arrest order na ito, we will have to provide information to the Immigration and DFA so that the DFA and our Immigration can likewise alarm other countries about the arrest order na inisyu dito sa House of Representatives,” Barbers explained.
He added: “So that we will be able to track kung nasaan siya kasi maaaring lumipat-lipat na rin siya. So kapag may alarm, it will now provide us information kung saan nagta-travel ito because he will be using definitely his own passport.”
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.
In one of the previous hearings, former Philippine National Police (PNP) Col. Eduardo Acierto identified Yang as the same individual he had flagged in 2017 for involvement in illegal drugs.
Acierto, who formerly worked with the PNP’s drug enforcement group, claimed that former President Duterte, then Special Adviser to the President and now Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go, and then PNP chief and now Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, ignored his intelligence report on Yang.
He also accused the former president of wanting him killed due to his knowledge of Duterte’s links with Yang and other individuals involved in illegal drug activities.
