Palace: Duterte will ‘kill’ Michael Yang if he’s into illegal drugs 

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo. (File photo from Philippine Daily Inquirer)

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte would surely kill Michael Yang, one of his economic advisers, if he is involved in illegal drugs.

“You don’t know this [Duterte] guy. He [Duterte] will kill him if he [Michael Yang] is involved [in illegal drugs],” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a chance interview in Malacañang.

Dismissed former deputy director for administration of the PNP Drug Enforcement Group (DEG) Eduardo Acierto surfaced on Sunday and accused President Rodrigo Duterte and former PNP chief Ronald dela Rosa of dismissing an intelligence report about Yang’s supposed link with illegal drugs.

He accused Duterte and Dela Rosa of blocking further investigation against Yang.

Acierto showed documents detailing the supposed links of Yang and Chinese national Allan Lim to the narcotics trade.

The former police official said he had also sent a copy to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) head Aaron Aquino and Police Deputy Director General Camilo Cascolan, PNP chief Oscar Albayalde, Sen. Richard Gordon, and the office of Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea.

Medialea, however, said he could not find “any submitted” intelligence report to his office regarding the involvement Yang and Lim with the illegal drugs trade.

READ: Medialdea: Palace looking for intel on Michael Yang’s drug links

In October 2018, President Rodrigo Duterte cleared Yang of involvement in the drug trade. /jpv

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