The House committee on dangerous drugs may issue warrants of arrest against Michael Yang, who served as adviser to former President Rodrigo Duterte, and his associates should they fail to appear in congressional hearings regarding their alleged involvement in a P3-billion drug bust last year in Mexico, Pampanga.
According to a statement by committee chair and Surigao del Norte Representative Robert Ace Barbers, the House may issue show-cause orders against the former presidential economic adviser and his associates for non-appearance before the warrants of arrest are issued.
The House panel has invited Yang to the hearing after Lincoln Ong, a Pharmally official and an alleged associate of Yang, was found to be an incorporator of a company with links to Empire 999 and other firms.
Empire 999, Barbers earlier said, was found to be the company that owns the warehouse in Mexico, Pampanga where the drugs were ordered to be stored.
“Kapag hindi sila umattend, isa lang ang mangyayari. (If they do not attend, only one thing will happen) We will issue a show-cause order and if they refuse and ignore the show-cause order, we have no other recourse but to issue a warrant against them,” Barbers said.
“‘Yung mga bago naming inimbita, ngayon hopefully sila ay mag-appear. Hindi pa naman namin sila inaakusahan. Ang aming panawagan sa kanila ay pumunta sila, mag-attend sila ng hearing, magbigay linaw doon sa issue na kung saan kinasasangkutan ng kanilang kumpanya o kinasasangkutan nila dun sa usapin ng droga,” he added.
(The new ones we invited will hopefully appear. We still haven’t accused them, but we request that they appear, attend the hearing, clarify the drug issues their companies or themselves are involved with)
Barbers said that although accusations have not been made, a non-appearance may lead the committee to land on a conclusion.
“Meron tayong kasabihan, ‘flight is indicative of guilt.’ Pagka ganu’n, baka magiba ‘yung committee report at baka doon patungo ‘yung aming susulatin na committee report,” he said.
(There is a saying that ‘flight is indicative of guilt.’ In that case, the committee report may change and lead to negative findings.)
Yang had previoulsy denied any relations with Pharmally, the firm which bagged the billions worth of government contract for the procurement of COVID-19-related medical goods.
Meanwhile, a former top PNP official had previously accused Yang of involvement in the illegal drug trade. The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency cleared him of the claims in 2021. — Jiselle Anne Casucian/ VDV, GMA Integrated News
Originally publishes in https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/907504/duterte-adviser-michael-yang-faces-arrest-if-he-skips-house-probe-solon-warns/story
