Palace: Michael Yang no longer Duterte’s economic adviser

Michael Yang

MANILA, Philippines — Michael Yang is no longer the economic adviser of President Rodrigo Duterte, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea said on Tuesday.

“Mr. Michael Yang’s One Peso per annum contract expired on December 31, 2018,” Medialdea said in a text message.

In October 2018, Duterte denied Yang was his economic adviser.

But Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo later admitted that Yang was “just one of those advisers that the President consults on a particular matter.”

The dismissed deputy director for administration of the PNP Drug Enforcement Group (DEG), Eduardo Acierto who surfaced on Sunday after hiding, linked Yang and another Chinese national Allan Lim to the illegal drugs trade.

Acierto said he gave an intelligence report to Malacañang and the Philippine National Police but said the President and former PNP chief Ronald Dela Rosa ignored the report.

Malacañang photos showed that Duterte was with Yang during the businessman’s visit to Malacañang and the President’s visit to China in 2016.

But despite the drug link allegation against Yang, a Davao-based businessman, Panelo said that for now, “unless you can show proof that he (Yang) is involved, the trust and confidence [of Duterte] remains.”/jpv/ac

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