The connection between former Philippine National Police chief Benjamin Acorda Jr. and former Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo, along with Tony Yang — both alleged to be involved in illegal gaming operations — was revealed on Tuesday.

The revelation followed the presentation of several photos during the resumption of the joint hearing of the Senate Committees on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality; Migrant Workers; and Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, focusing on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) and the alleged connections of Guo.

Senator Risa Hontiveros, who presided over the hearing, flashed photos of Acorda with Yang, the elder brother of Michael Yang, the economic adviser of former President Rodrigo Duterte who was implicated in the Pharmally scandal.

Hontiveros asked Yang if he was friends with PNP officials, including Acorda, who served as PNP chief from 24 April 2023 until his extended forced retirement on 31 March 2024.

Responding to the senator’s query, Yang said he knew Acorda through a business federation in Cagayan de Oro City, where most of his businesses are located.

“I got to know him through the Cagayan Business Federation because as a member of the federation, of course, we have moments when we get to meet these officials, especially when we need some help for the safety of our community,” he said in Chinese as translated by an interpreter.

According to Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada, Acorda served as a regional director for Northern Mindanao, which covers the city of Cagayan de Oro. This was substantiated by Yang.

“Yes, when he was in Cagayan as regional director, we knew each other,” said Yang, who earlier admitted to the senators he faked his Filipino citizenship through a late-register Filipino birth certificate.

Yang, whose real name is Yang Jianxin, said his grandfather helped him obtain a birth certificate to facilitate their businesses in the country. He was arrested last week at Terminal 3 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport for being an undesirable alien.

The Senate panel invited a Chinese interpreter for Yang, who said he was not fluent in English, Filipino or Bisaya, a claim the senators could not believe.

“I can’t believe that you’ve been in the Philippines for a quarter of a century, including in Cagayan de Oro, and you still don’t speak Bisaya or Filipino fluently. I’m not crazy to believe that,” Hontiveros said.

Yang, who admitted to using a Filipino name, Antonio Maestrado Lim, said he had been in the Philippines since 1998 or 1999 — around 26 years.

Hontiveros also showed a photo of Acorda with Sual, Pangasinan Mayor Liseldo “Dong” Calugay and Wesley Guo, the brother of Alice Guo who is also known as Guo Hua Ping.

Calugay said the photo was taken when he paid Acorda a visit at his office at PNP headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City.

“We paid him a visit,” said Calugay, the alleged boyfriend of Guo, who is believed to have facilitated her escape from the country last July.

Calugay said he visited Acorda since he once served as chief of police of Sual.

“He [Wesley] joined us. He also wanted to see the highest official of the PNP,” Calugay told the panel.

Acorda’s name came up at the Senate hearing after a former PNP chief was rumored to have had a hand in the escape of Guo and her siblings from the country in July.

Council of chiefs

Before this, Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa called out Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) senior vice president for security and monitoring cluster Raul Villanueva, a retired Armed Forces of the Philippines general, for making an “irresponsible statement” in the last hearing.

“This is a sweeping accusation which maligns and brings dishonor to all of us, former chiefs, who have dedicated the best years of our lives in the service of the Filipino nation,” said Dela Rosa as he read the statement of the Council of Chiefs. The Council of Chiefs is composed of former PNP directors general.

“Although we are now retired, we continuously uphold our integrity to the highest standards and our solemn pledge to serve and protect our country and people,” Dela Rosa stressed.

To recall, Villanueva last week said a former PNP chief was involved in Guo’s escape, citing a “rumor” within the intelligence community. He noted, however, that the information had not been validated by the intelligence community.

Dela Rosa, through the statement of the Council of Chiefs, demanded a public apology from Villanueva.

Villanueva clarified that he did not intend to impute malice on the former PNP chiefs, adding that he had dismissed the information as a mere rumor.

“That is why I qualified it in the last Senate hearing that it was just raw information. I don’t want to put malice on our chief PNPs,” he said.

“I’m sorry if that was the interpretation of our former PNP chiefs, but I hold them in respect because each of these chief PNP have their own legacy in the PNP institution,” he added.

At this point, Dela Rosa asked Villanueva if this counted as a public apology, which the latter affirmed.

“Yes, your honor, to say it very bluntly. In the last session, I already qualified it as raw information and therefore it had no bearing at all yet,” he said.