Yang says he's not an agent for China's Communist Party

Davao businessman Michael Yang on Thursday dismissed claims that he was an agent representing China's Communist Party, adding that he only seeks good relations between China and Philippines.

In the continuation of the Senate blue ribbon panel on the COVID-19 supply procurement, Senator Richard Gordon revealed some photos of Yang's trips with President Rodrigo Duterte.

This includes a picture of former presidential economic adviser Yang with Fujian Secretary General Liang Jiangyoung at the former's office in Makati.

Gordon then quizzed Yang if Liang was a member of China Communist Party Fujian.

Yang responded in Mandarin but translated by his interpreter, "Yes, he is from the Chinese communist party."

Following this, Gordon asked if Yang was a member of the Chinese communist party. But the Davao businessman immediately denied it.

At one point in the hearing, Gordon cited the "sudden shift" of foreign policy of Duterte towards China, adding that the President was not aggressive against Chinese fleet's incursions at Philippine waters.

"Magmula nung nagpresidente, hindi na siya kumikibo kapag sinasagasaan ang mga bangka namin ng Pilipino," he pointed out.

(Since he became the President, he did not make a move while our boats were being attacked.)

The senator also claimed that Yang's arrival may have also affected Duterte's approach to China. He then asked again if Yang is working for the China Communist Party of the Philippines.

"Napaka-coincidental na magmula noong dumating ka nagbago foreign policy ng Pilipinas. Naging best friend mo si President Duterte. Again, I ask you are an agent of chinese communist party of the Philippines?" he said.

(It is coincidental that ever since you arrived, foreign policy has changed. You became Duterte's best friend.)

Through his interpreter, Yang again denied Gordon's claims.

"Number one, I am not an agent of CCP. Number two, we will never or dare to be involved in foreign policy of the President. Number three, what we wish for is really for China and the Philippines to have very good relations... and I love the Philippines and I really wish China and the Philippines will have good relations," he explained.

Tourist visa

Gordon also grilled Yang for using a tourist visa while he was allegedly starting his business in the Philippines in the early 2000s.

Yang told the panel that he used a tourist visa when he first arrived in the Philippines sometime in 1999 or 2000. Eventually, it was changed to a permanent visa.

The Chinese businessman said he was coming back and forth from China and his expenses were provided mostly by his relatives and friends.

“Alam mo kapag tourist ka, bawal ka kumita dito…Ano ang ginagawa mo sa Pilipinas?” Gordon asked.

(If you are a tourist, you are not allowed to gain income here. What are you doing in the Philippines?)

Yang, through an interpreter, said he was helping his friends in their businesses back then and he was also looking for other business ventures that he can enter.

“Before, when I came to the Philippines, I would help my friends and then I would look around for what kind of business I can possibly engage in,” Yang said.

At this point, Gordon said Yang had lied in his visa as he went to the Philippines to conduct business.

“Sa makatuwid sinungaling ‘yung ginawa mo. Tourist visa para magbyahe ka pero nagpunta ka lang rito para maghanap ng kabuhayan. Sinungaling ‘yon,” Gordon said.

(In other words, you have lied. Tourist visas are for travels but you went here to search for businesses. That is lying.)

Yang maintained that he was not lying about it and he was just narrating what had happened.

Senator Risa Hontiveros also questioned how Yang was able to enter the business of department stores and real estate within five years when he had started from nothing.

“Paano kayo nakabuo ng ganon kalaking capital in just a few years kung nagsimula kayo sa wala?” Hontiveros asked.

(How did you get huge capital in just a few years when you started from nothing?)

Yang said anew that he was helping his friends while “slowly” making investments until he started growing his own businesses.

Gordon cut Hontiveros’ interpellation, saying it’s “very obvious” that Yang was not being forthright about the history of his businesses in the Philippines.

“From the beginning, lumalabas na nagloko na ito e. Pag binigyan ka ng visa, tourist ka, hindi ka magnenegosyo. Pabalik-balik ka, imposible na wala kang ginagawa, na nagnenegosyo ka rito. It’s very obvious,” Gordon said.

(From the beginning, you can see that he was lying. If you were given a tourist visa, you will not conduct a business here. You are coming back and forth from China. It is impossible that you do that for nothing, you are doing business here. It's very obvious.)

Last week, it was disclosed that Yang had only paid P7,600 in income tax in 2018 and failed to pay his duties from 2014 to 2017 despite several business engagements in the country.

The Senate blue ribbon committee is looking into the transfer of P42 billion COVID-19 funds from the Department of Health to the Department of Budget and Management Procurement Service.

The probe includes PS-DBM’s purchase of P8.6 billion worth of face masks, face shields, and PPEs from Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corporation, a firm that is being linked to Yang.

The company only had a P625,000 paid-up capital when it entered transactions with the government.—LDF, GMA News