The Philippine government is considering confiscating the businesses and other assets owned by Tony Yang, a Chinese citizen who has been residing in the Philippines for a long time.
In this regard, former Mayor and former Congressman of Misamis Oriental, Oscar Moreno, expressed his support for the government's actions.
According to investigations by the Senate and the House of Representatives, Tony Yang has been living in the Philippines for 26 years and is accused of being involved in illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) activities.
Moreno mentioned that he had interacted with Yang in activities within the Chinese community in Cagayan de Oro City, noting that Yang actually speaks Filipino but pretended not to understand it during a Senate hearing, requesting a translator to assist in answering questions, which raised suspicions from the public.
26 years! What is the story between Tony Yang and the Philippines?
Tony Yang, also known as Antonio Maestrado Lim, is the elder brother of Michael Yang, a former economic adviser to former Philippine President Duterte.
He was born in Fujian, China, and arrived in Manila, Philippines around 1998, along with his younger brother Tony Yang.
Reportedly, around 2003, Yang's Filipino maternal grandfather helped him obtain a birth certificate from Misamis Oriental, and due to his mother's surname "Lim," his Filipino name is Antonio Maestrado Lim or Antonio Lim.
Subsequently, he founded several businesses including Yangtze Economic Development, Yangzi Pharmaceutical Group, covering sectors like metals, tires, and rice.
His companies have partnerships with Phividec Industrial Estate and a POGO service provider known as Oroone Inc.
In 2018, he built a large warehouse and established several online gambling centers in Tanza Province and Pangasinan Province.
However, in recent years, Yang has been involved in investigations concerning illegal activities including smuggling and illegal online gambling. In 2021, he was arrested for allegedly smuggling rice through a private port owned by his Triple A Steel Plant. He was arrested at NAIA carrying a forged Philippine birth certificate, a Chinese passport, over 1.4 million pesos in cash, and other foreign currencies.
The investigation shows that he is connected with key figures in multiple POGO cases.
Tony Yang's brother, Tony Yang, is also embroiled in controversy due to his involvement in the overpriced procurement of pandemic supplies by Pharmally Pharmaceutical. The brothers are implicated in land grabbing by Chinese nationals and extrajudicial killings associated with Duterte's drug war.
Following these events, the Department of Justice announced that it would initiate criminal proceedings against Tony Yang for violating immigration laws. He will not be deported.
