Quad-comm uncovers transnational ring that grabbed Pinoys by the neck

Tony Yang (speakers office)

The ranking congressman called the quad committee (quad-comm) hearing on Friday, September 27, as the last for “season one,” so they wanted to make it a blast.

Late Friday night of the 14-hour marathon hearing, Senior Vice President Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales Jr. and Vice Chairman David “Jay-jay” Suarez jointly created a detailed matrix showing the inner workings of a deep-rooted criminal syndicate allegedly led by former President Rodrigo Duterte’s presidential advisor Michael Yang and his colleague Allan Lim.

Bits and pieces of this so-called syndicate had been discussed during the previous six hearings of the House of Representatives quad-comm, but never before had it been fully unraveled and dissected before the public.

This matrix also served as the culmination of the solos and their investigators’ sifting through piles of documents and testimonies. It’s like discovering a treasure map, except there’s no treasure to be found, just evidence of transnational criminal activity.

“These Chinese nationals are setting up businesses across the country, abusing our laws by committing and promoting illegal activities, to the great detriment of our country and the Filipino people,” said Gonzales, Pampanga’s 3rd District Congressman .

It started in 2017

Gonzales said the starting point was 2017, or just a year after the previous Duterte administration, which enabled the boom in Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO).

Suarez, the representative of Quezon’s second district, said: “A criminal enterprise has invaded us and has been operating ‘silent impunity’ – and from these operations, inuubos have come to nagkaka monopoly na po ata to commit (them) crimes monopolized that affect basic fundamental rights – human trafficking, kidnapping, prostitution, murder, love fraud, crypto fraud and all forms of cyber scams.”

Suarez revealed that Yang and Lim used legitimate businesses as a front for their criminal activities, with DCLA Plaza, a shopping center in Davao, allegedly serving as a hub for Yang’s drug distribution network.

He said the duo had “layered” their business operations by using multiple companies to hide their illegal activities, while also expanding their criminal activities into the POGO industry.

“As the (quad-comm) investigations progressed, there were companies that kept coming up and coming across household names, names that were associated with controversial investigations,” Suarez noted. He said they revealed “a pattern, a partnership and an alignment.”

“To reach the top and get through, we have uncovered and identified at least two major actors or players in the issue of illegal drugs and illegal activities related to POGOs,” Suarez said, referring to Yang and Lim.

Among these companies is Brickhartz Technology Inc., which has reportedly been involved in several kidnapping cases and has ties to Xionwei Technology Co. Ltd., a POGO operation linked to Lim.

Brickhartz and Xionwei were connected to the Baofu Compound in Bamban, Tarlac, a notorious facility with connections to dismissed mayor Alice Guo, where Chinese nationals were arrested for various criminal activities.

The quad-com had established connections between Yang and Lim and the controversial Lucky South 99, which operates a POGO hub in Porac, which was raided by authorities last June for various illegal activities. The company is represented by Casandra Ong.

The mega panel led by General Chairman Surigao del Norte Second District Rep. Robert Ace Barbers highlighted Yang and Lim’s ties to Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp. further revealed, which was involved in anomalous purchases of health and medical supplies for Covid-19 during the Duterte administration. .

It was also learned that Empire 999 Realty Corporation, linked to Yang, was involved in the discovery of a P3.6 billion shabu shipment worth Pampanga in 2023 in Mexico, Pampanga. This was one of the first alarming incidents for which Gonzales sought a House investigation. , not knowing that it would lead to something much bigger.

Suarez highlighted a recurring pattern of Yang using Gerald Cruz, Jayson Uson and Yugin Zheng, while Lim relied on his wife, Rose Nono Lin, as nominees in corporate structures to conceal ownership. Lin, listed as the founder of at least eight companies linked to Yang, played a crucial role in their extensive operations.

Enter Tony Yang

Suarez said a major development in the investigation involved the arrest of Yang’s older brother, Tony Yang, at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) two weeks ago.

Tony Yang, also known as Antonio Maestrado Lim, was captured as an unwanted alien. He was intercepted at the airport with ₱1.4 million in cash and six firearms.

“Si Tony Yang is the eldest brother of the Yang brothers. Siya is a mastermind of the architect who executed the opera of the Yang Brothers criminal syndicate,” said Suarez, noting that another brother of Michael Yang was Hong Jiang Yang.

(Tony Yang is the eldest man among the Yang brothers. It is said that he is the real mastermind or architect of all the operations and criminal syndicate of the Yang brothers in our country.)

Tony Yang owns several companies in Cagayan de Oro City, including the Yang Zi Hotel – a former POGO hub – and Philippine Sanjia Steel Corp., which was allegedly involved in rice smuggling and human trafficking. He is also the president of Oro One, Inc., a service provider for Xionwei Technologies, one of Lim’s POGO companies.

Suarez said Tony Yang’s companies are involved in various illegal activities, including drug smuggling and land acquisition schemes using fraudulent documents.

Tony Yang attended Friday’s hearing through an interpreter. The co-chair of the Quad-Comm, Santa Rosa City, lone District Rep. Dan Fernandez, had him cited for contempt during his interpellation for allegedly lying about the details of his local businesses.

Suarez warned that the criminal syndicate, made up mainly of Chinese nationals, has expanded its influence over the country’s national security and sovereignty. The investigation found that foreigners linked to Yang and Lim acquired land by “posing as Filipinos” through fake birth certificates and government IDs.

“This is a serious threat to our national security and to our sovereignty as a nation,” he said, adding that these lands should be only for Filipinos.

Season two

Gonzales said the quad comm will recommend the filing of criminal, civil and administrative cases against those involved, and implement legal reforms to close loopholes in the legal system.

“Hindi po dito nagtatapos ang trabaho ng quad-comm. There is talk of imbestigasyon na ito, na binigyan ng panahon at pagod, ay ang simula,” Gonzales stated.

(The quad-comm’s work doesn’t end here. This research, which we’ve invested time and effort into, is just the beginning.)

Among the laws that need to be amended include the Philippine Adaptation of the Rackeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, the Special Investor’s Resident Visa Program, the Anti-Dummy Law and the Philippine Passport Act.

“If you discover a criminal enterprise, you can discover it. Wala pa po tayo sa tanong na that allowed them to operate freely and with impunity. Mga dayuhan po ang na-identify natin. Hindi po ito makaka-operate kung walang mga Pilipinong tumulong,” Gonzales said.

(So ​​far we have only exposed the criminal enterprise. We have yet to find out who enabled them to operate freely and with impunity. We have only identified foreigners. Without Filipino enablers, they will not be able to operate.)

He continued, “Wala pa rin po tayo sa financial ties. Kulang pa (We have not yet achieved financial ties. There is still work to be done) To completely cripple them means cutting off the financial flow of the angagos ng pera (or the flow of money).”

“We will end their era,” Gonzales promised.

Although nothing has been scheduled, the next hearing of the special four-way panel – or the start of ‘season two’ – is expected to take place next month after the filing of Certificates of Candidacy (COCs).