Liberal Party (LP) official Erin Tañada on Wednesday called on the Duterte administration to be transparent about the extent of involvement of Michael Yang in presidential decisions.
Malacañang admitted on Tuesday that the Chinese businessman is President Rodrigo Duterte’s economic adviser.
READ: Palace: Michael Yang is one of Duterte’s consultants
Tañada said the opposition party was “alarmed” of Yang’s role in the Duterte administration especially given that the President’s earlier denial that Yang cannot be an adviser “because he is Chinese.”
“These inconsistencies from the Executive does nothing to win back our confidence,” LP’s vice president for external affairs added, noting that Yang was previously linked to illegal drugs.
Dutertere personally cleared him of said accusations by virtue of being associates in Davao and by citing Yang’s close relations to the Chinese Ambassador.
READ: IN THE KNOW: Who is Michael Yang?
“Are these links connected to the ease and audacity within which billions of pesos worth of shabu are being smuggled into Bureau of Customs right under the noses of Malacanang’s key appointees?” the senatorial aspirant asked.
“We call on the Palace to be transparent about Michael Yang’s involvement in Presidential decisions, particularly on economic matters. We urge the Palace to clarify the extent to which Michael Yang is allowed access to information sensitive to the interests of the state,” he added.
The LP official also questioned Yang’s competencies and qualifications to be an economic adviser.
“Is it really a position they cannot find a qualified Filipino to fill? Where does his loyalties lie?” he asked.
READ: Alejano to Duterte: Fire Chinese businessman as adviser