Ako Bicol rep wants ex-adviser explain frequent links to anomalies

Michael Yang — FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – A party-list lawmaker believes it is about time for Michael Yang, the former economic adviser of former President Rodrigo Duterte, to address accusations linking him to illegal drugs and his seeming frequent association with anomalies.

Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Raul Angelo Bongalon questioned on Monday why Yang’s name consistently emerges in discussions involving illegal activities, pointing to his alleged involvement in the government’s controversial procurement of personal protective equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

“Well, let us have a brief history of who Michael Yang is. As mentioned, he was involved in a very controversial corruption case allegedly with regard to the Pharmally and Michael Yang used to be the adviser, economic adviser of former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and we see now that his name is being dragged to a drug case,” Bongalon said in a press briefing at the Batasang Pambansa complex.

“So it seems he’s involved in everything illegal, so there has been nothing good attributed to Michael Yang’s name so I guess when we speak of serious cases like drugs, I guess the administration, the government should really look into these controversies,” he added.

Yang’s name resurfaced again when Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Robert Ace Barbers announced that the businessman would be invited to the House of Representatives’ committee on dangerous drugs hearing. This decision came after it was revealed that one of the warehouses where illegal drugs were seized belonged to Yang’s translator, Lincoln Ong.

READ: Rodrigo Duterte’s adviser Yang to be invited to House drug probe 

Yang and Ong were also connected to Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp. — the company which supplied the government with allegedly overpriced face masks, face shields, and other equipment.

Pharmally was dragged into the spotlight during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic after both the House of Representatives and the Senate investigated the Commission on Audit report on the Department of Health (DOH) — which showed that P42 billion of the P67.32 billion COVID-19 funds had deficiencies.

This included the P8.7 billion contract signed by the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) with Pharmally, in behalf of DOH, despite Pharmally only having a small paid-up capital of P625,000.

READ: COA finds DOH lacking in managing P67.32-B COVID funds 

During the investigation of the Senate, it was revealed by Ong that Yang made a guarantee to the Chinese face mask and face shield suppliers which supplied Pharmally, that the company can pay its dues.

Ong said in one of the hearings that Yang introduced them to Chinese companies that would supply the medical equipment.  However, Ong said that the financial constraints forced them to ask for Yang’s help so that they could secure the deal.

READ: Yang guaranteed to Chinese suppliers that Pharmally can pay — exec 

Bongalon said Yang must address this new accusation against him.

“So, this guy, we see that he has many things to answer, because his name has been involved in many issues, even during the previous administration, he is facing cases.  So, I guess the government should really take this seriously,” he added.

INQUIRER.net contacted Atty. Raymond Fortun, Yang’s legal counsel during the height of the Pharmally issue, to ask if the businessman would attend the House hearings.  However, Fortun said he has not talked to Yang since 2022, or after when the hearings on Pharmally were terminated.

“I haven’t spoken to him […] since March 2022,” Fortun said in a text message.

“I haven’t asked, we have not talked,” he added, when asked if he thinks Yang would attend the House inquiry.  “The last time I have met him was during the Senate hearings.  When the hearings were terminated, we have not spoken since then.”