MANILA — On Friday night, the Quad Committee of the House of Representatives found Chinese businessman Tony Yang in contempt after he repeatedly failed to answer key questions posed by Sta. Rosa, Laguna Rep. Dan Fernandez during a hearing.
Yang was questioned about his connections to Allan Lim and Ricky Go, both named as incorporators in Yang’s business ventures. Lim, in particular, was listed in the General Information Sheet for Yang’s rice milling company in Cagayan de Oro, as revealed during the session.
Through his interpreter, Carol Batay, Yang consistently denied knowing either Lim or Go, stating, “I never had the company with the two of them.”
Rep. Fernandez expressed frustration, stating, “There are two personalities, drug personalities, that I mentioned that are included as incorporators of the two companies, and he lied twice. Allan Lim and Ricky Go who are involved in drugs. And now, in front of us, he is lying. I think, Mr. Chairman, it’s high time that … we cite him in contempt.”
The House, while limited in its powers of contempt, may cite individuals in contempt during investigations conducted in aid of legislation or through its oversight of the executive branch.
In addition, Fernandez played a video that allegedly showed Yang bypassing immigration officers at the airport without undergoing the required inspection. He remarked, “You can see him entering Immigration, the red light is flashing, but he continues without care. He doesn’t respect our immigration officers.”
Yang was initially set to be detained at Quezon City jail, but the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) requested that he be held instead at the PAOCC Temporary Detention Facility.
Yang, who is the brother of former presidential adviser Michael Yang, was apprehended on September 19 for immigration-related violations. He is also believed to own the Philippine Sanjia Steel Corporation in Cagayan de Oro, which reportedly mirrors the layout of POGO hubs that were raided in Tarlac and Pampanga.