Hontiveros shows alleged Pogo-Pharmally link: Michael Yang’s bro

FILE PHOTO: Sen. Risa Hontiveros clues the public in on the possible connection between Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogos) and the controversial Pharmally Biological. In an online press conference on Monday, July 15, 2024, Hontiveros said suspended Bamban Mayor Alice Guo may be linked to “bigger syndicates,” revealing that her company Baofuland Development Inc. had direct transactions with a certain Hongjiang Yang, a brother of Michael Yang – a former adviser to ex-President Rodrigo Duterte and a central figure in the Pharmally scandal. (Joseph Vidal/Senate PRIB)

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Risa Hontiveros clued the public in on the possible connection between Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogos) and the controversial Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp.

In an online press conference on Monday, Hontiveros said suspended Bamban Mayor Alice Guo may be linked to “bigger syndicates,” revealing that her company Baofuland Development Inc. had direct transactions with a certain Hongjiang Yang, a brother of Michael Yang – a former adviser to ex-President Rodrigo Duterte and a central figure in the Pharmally scandal.

Baofuland Development Inc. is the registered owner of the land where the raided facility of offshore gaming operator Zun Yuan Technology Inc. is built. Guo previously said she already “divested” from Baofu even before she got elected as mayor of Bamban, Tarlac in 2022.

“Friends, let me show you this image from the Anti-Money Laundering Council. Ang kumpanya ni Alice Guo, ang Baofu, ay may direktang transaksyon sa joint account ng dalawang tao: Ang isa si Yu Zheng Can, naa incorporator ng Hong Sheng, ang Philippine offshore gaming operator (Pogo) na ni-raid sa Bamban, Tarlac. Ang kasama niya sa account ay isang nagngangalang Hongjiang Yang,” said Hontiveros in an online press conference.

(Friends let me show you this image from the Anti-Money Laundering Council. Alice Guo’s company, the Baofu, has direct transactions to a joint account of two people: one is Yu Zheng Can, an incorporator of Hong Sheng, the Pogo raided in Bamban, Tarlac. Also included in her account is a certain Hongjiang Yang.)

READ: Hontiveros: Pharmally group seemingly linked to Pogos

“Who is Hongjiang Yang, you may ask? Kapatid po siya ni Michael Yang. Yes, the same Michael Yang na dating economic presidential adviser kuno ni Duterte. In short, the money of Michael Yang’s brother was used to fund HongSheng, the raided Bamban Pogo,” she added.

(Who is Hongjiang Yang, you may ask? A sibling of Michael Yang. Yes, the same Michael Yang, an ex economic presidential adviser to Duterte. In short, the money of Michael Yang’s brother was used to fund HongSheng, the raided Pogo in Bamban.)

READ: The ‘original sin’ in Pharmally deal

According to Hontiveros, Hongjiang Yang is also an incorporator of Full Win Group of Companies where a certain Gerald Cruz – an incorporator to Pharmally Biological, a sister company of Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp. – is connected.

“The same Gerald Cruz na incorporator din ng POGO na Brickhartz, na ang mga papeles ay natagpuan sa Bamban,” the senator said.

(The same Gerald Cruz who is also an incorporator of Pogo firm Brickhartz, which papers were found in Bamban.)

For Hontiveros, her discoveries boost her suspicion that individuals involved in the Pharmally scandal are possibly the same people who backed Pogos and the ills it caused to the country.

“Sabi ko nga, mukhang one big, happy Pharmally pala itong mga Pogo at Pharmally members. Baka nga itong Pharmally pala ang ‘PHARM’ na kinalakihan ni Alice Guo,” Hontiveros said in jest.

(Like I said, this looks like one big, happy Pharmally – these Pogo and Pharmally members. Maybe this is the “PHARM” that Alice Guo grew up on.)