MANILA- The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee has recommended the deportation of Davao-based businessman Michael Yang, the President's former Economic adviser, for allegedly evading taxes and his links with the Pharmally pandemic deals.

According to the panel's preliminary report released on Tuesday, Yang, Lin Weixiong, and Qing Jin Ke should be deported for being "undesirable aliens."

“It seems to become clearer that his role might not be that of a mere financier; but this ‘pagador’ [paymaster] has played a role in this scandal more than that of a mere financier. He refuses to tell the Committee the source of his money, the extent of his businesses and holdings, how much taxes he has paid,” a Senate press release read.

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Yang could also face several charges as recommended by the Senate's investigating committee for supposedly violating the following laws:

• Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act
• Plunder Law
• Perjury/False Testimony
• Bayanihan to Heal as One Act
• Disobedience to SummonsIssued by Congress, under Art. 150, Revised Penal Code

The partial report also alleged that Yang influenced the pandemic deals, just as the government favored "an unqualified, undercapitalized company" which he assisted.

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The Chinese businessman has denied the claims and said he only introduced "friends" to Pharmally executives to aid in the supply deals with PS-DBM.

In its partial report, the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee said that "public funds are plundered as the Filipino people struggled" during the COVID-19 pandemic. https://t.co/JqkSH5Ot6N

— Job Manahan (@jobmanahan) February 1, 2022

But during the Dec. 21 hearing, Pharmally chairman Huang Tzu Yen told senators that Lin Weixiong, the husband of Rose Nono Lin, became the financial manager so that Yang is assured of payment.

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A separate Senate press release also alleged that Yang failed to pay his taxes while he was in the Philippines.

“In fact, we discovered that in almost a quarter of a century of staying in the Philippines, conducting lucrative businesses, he started paying taxes only recently in 2018, declaring income of Php 288,000 for the year, and paying a measly amount of Php 7,600.00," the Tuesday press release read.

"Financing the Pharmally contracts was a sure way of washing his cash. He, for all intents and purposes, is the co-conductor of this horrible mess,” it added.

The 5-page preliminary report released to the media does not include the statements.

TAXES

During the Oct. 28, 2021 hearing, senators said Yang did not file his ITR from the year 2014 up to 2017, citing information from the Bureau of Internal Revenue.

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This was "based on the verification made by the District's Collection Section," the presentation read.

"The ITRs for 2014 to 2017 could not be found in the records (Document Processing Division)."

But Yang paid P7,600 worth of taxes in 2018 from his taxable income P208,000.

His records for 2018 and 2019, however, are "unreadable."

The Senate panel also showed two certifications issued by the BIR office in Davao City and West Davao that Yang did not file his ITR from 2014 to 2017.

In September, Huang admitted that they borrowed money from Yang for their deal with PS-DBM.

This is why the senators alleged that he might be "sheltered by the mayor," referring to Duterte.

“He has no healthy respect for law... He displays arrogance during hearings, evincing a lack of respect for authority,” the statement read.

“Despite decades of lucrative and peaceful sojourn in our country, his care is not for others who had not only been hospitable to him, but also even allowed him to amass great wealth,” it added, citing the Blue Ribbon Committee report.

The Senate panel investigated Pharmally after records showed that the PS-DBM awarded since last year billions-worth of contracts to the company that only had less than a million pesos in paid-up capital.

Duterte defended the deals and said they were above board. The investigating committee said because of this, the President "betrayed public trust."

Gordon said the public funds wasted on anomalous transactions could have been used to cover benefits of health workers who are battling COVID-19 in the frontlines.

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