Links drawn between Pharmally, POGOs and Michael Yang’s kin

MANILA , Philippines — Sen. Risa Hontiveros on Monday drew more connections between Philippine Offshore and Gaming Operations  (POGOs) and Pharmally Biological Inc., with the brother of former presidential adviser Michael Yang tagged as one of the incorporators of the raided gaming hub.

At an online press briefing on Monday, Hontiveros cited documents from the Anti-Money Laundering Council, connecting the incorporators of various POGO hubs and Pharmally—the government’s controversial COVID-19 medical supplier.

Baofu, the company of suspended Bamban Mayor Alice Guo (suspected to be Chinese National Guo Hua Ping), has direct transactions with the accounts of two people: Yu Zhengcan and Hongjiang Yang, Hontiveros said.

Yu Zhengcan is an incorporator for Hongsheng Gaming Inc., which was the POGO raided by authorities in Bamban, Tarlac in March.

Meanwhile, Hongjiang Yang is the brother of Michael Yang, the economic adviser of former president Rodrigo Duterte.

“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 the Hong Sheng, the raided Bamban POGO,” Hontiveros said. (Who is Hongjiang Yang, you may ask? That is the brother of Michael Yang, yes the same  Michael Yang who was the economic presidential adviser of Duterte. In short, the money of Michael Yang’s brother was used to fund the Hong Sheng, the raided Bamban POGO.)

Hontiveros explained that Hongjiang Yang had a role in Pharmally.

“Si Hongjiang Yang ay incorporator ng Full Win Group of Companies, kung saan incorporator din si Gerald Cruz, na isa sa mga incorporator ng Pharmally Biological. The same Gerald Cruz na incorporator din ng POGO ng Brickhartz na ang mga papeles ay natagpuan sa Bamban. Sabi ko nga, mukhang one big happy Pharmally pala itong mga POGO at Pharmally members. Baka nga itong pharmally ang farm na kinalakihan ni Alice Guo,” Hontiveros said. (Hongjiang Yang is an incorporator of  Full Win Group of Companies, which is one of the incorporators of Pharmally Biological. The same Gerald Cruz that was an incorporator of the Brickhartz  POGO whose papers were discovered in Bamban. Like I said, it looks like one big happy Pharmally for these POGO and Pharmally members. Maybe this Pharamally is the farm that Alice Guo grew up in.)   

Guo had long claimed to be a simple Filipino citizen who was raised on a farm. An ongoing Senate investigation, however, has poked holes on Guo’s real identity, with Hontiveros alleging that the embattled mayor had ties to criminal syndicates.