Pogo probe spotlight on Duterte possible, says Hontiveros

POGO stock photo. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA. Philippines — The Philippine offshore gaming operator (Pogo) investigation spotlight may shift to former President Rodrigo Duterte if his ex-adviser Michael Yang’s ties to these firms are proven, Sen. Risa Hontiveros said.

Hontiveros revealed in an online press conference on Monday that Michael Yang’s brother, Hongjiang Yang, allegedly had direct transactions with Baofuland Development Inc., an alleged company of suspended Bamban Mayor Alice Guo who has been tagged in illegal offshore gaming operations in Tarlac province.

Micahel Yang served as Duterte’s economic adviser. He is also one of the central figures in the COVID-19 supplies scandal involving Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp.

“Well, kung ma-establish namin na talagang may koneksyon si Michael Yang bukod sa kanyang kapatid, hindi lamang sa Pharmally kundi dito sa Pogo – sa pamamagitan ng hindi lamang iisa, kundi iilang Pogo companies na ang mga papeles ay nahahanap sa mga raided na Pogo hub tulad sa Bamban, Tarlac, then syempre dahil naging mataas na adviser siya kay Duterte at malapit sa dating presidente, then of course, maitatanong din namin kung ano ang posibleng koneksyon ng dating presidente sa Pogos na ito,” Hontiveros told reporters in a virtual press conference.

(Well, if we establish that Michael Yang really has a connection aside from his brother, not only to Pharmally but to Pogo – through various Pogo companies which papers were found in raided Pogo hubs such as that in Bamban, Tarlac, then of course since he was a high-ranking adviser of Duterte and close to the ex-president, then of course, we could also ask what are the possible connections of the former president to Pogos.)

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

Hontiveros previously said Michael Yang may be involved in criminal activities related to offshore gaming operations since his firm Xion Wei Technologies Inc. uses the same email address as that of Brickhartz Technologies Inc. – a Pogo which  documents were found in the raided Bamban offshore gaming center.

The senator likewise pointed out that Guo may be connected to “bigger syndicates” because her Baofuland Development Inc., where the facility of the raided Bamban-based gaming company named Zun Yuan Technology Inc. was built, had direct transactions with Michael Yang’s brother Hongjiang.

READ: Hontiveros: Pharmally group seemingly linked to Pogos

Hontiveros even raised the possibility that individuals behind the Pharmally scandal may also be involved in illegal Pogos.

“Pero mukhang Pharmally group ito, same cast of characters. Kaya mahalagang we get to the root of it, dahil mukhang itong grupong ito, itong Pharmally group, ay posibleng nandun nga sa roots ng problema natin sa Pogo,” she said.

(But it is like the Pharmally group with the same cast of characters. That’s why we need to get to the root of it, because it seems like this group, this Pharmally group, is possibly at the roots of our problem in Pogo.)