The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) disclosed to a congressional inquiry on Wednesday that Senator Christopher “Bong” Go is a “close friend” of alleged drug personality Allan Lim, who is reportedly wanted in China and is linked to Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp., a company embroiled in a major Covid-19 pandemic scandal.

PDEA Deputy Director General Renato Gumban presented a matrix to the House Quad Committee investigating connections between Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) and illegal drugs.

The matrix implicated Lim, former presidential economic adviser Michael Yang, and others in drug operations. It also linked them to Empire 999 Realty Corporation, which owns a warehouse in Mexico, Pampanga, where authorities seized P3.5 billion worth of shabu in September 2023.

Allegations and denials

Gumban cited a “reliable informant” claiming, “Allan Lim is a close friend of then Special Assistant to the President Christopher ‘Bong’ Go […] and involved in the kidnapping of high-roller Chinese gamblers in Okada Manila [and] illegal drugs in Cavite but the cases were dismissed in 2015.”

ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro asked whether the matrix proved Go’s involvement in illegal drugs.

“According to our informant, they are just close friends that’s why we put it there. It is not specific that they are involved in drugs,” Gumban clarified, adding that the investigation is ongoing.

However, Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Adiong criticized Gumban for including names like Go and Yang without concrete evidence. “Why would you put their name there? That’s very incriminating and yet you’re coming here telling us that you do not have enough evidence to proof?” Adiong said.

In a separate interview, Senator Go denied the allegations. "Allan Lim and I are not close friends, and most importantly, I am not involved in illegal drugs. In fact, we hate the drug lords," Go stated.

Matrix and connections

According to Gumban, Lim, also known as Lin Weixiong, uses multiple identities and was implicated in drug operations and casino junket schemes. He was also named in a 2017 drug matrix by former police Col. Eduardo Acierto, linking him to drug labs in Luzon and Mindanao.

Lim’s involvement extends to Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp., which secured 13 government contracts worth P11 billion during the Covid-19 pandemic despite being a startup with only P625,000 in capital.

The presentation also linked POGOs to criminal syndicates, focusing on Hongsheng Gaming Technology Inc., a POGO operator in Bamban, Tarlac, allegedly funded by suspicious sources, including Hong Jiang Yang, Michael Yang’s sibling.

Hongsheng Gaming leased facilities from Baufu Land Development Inc., owned by former Bamban mayor Alice Guo. Investigations by the Anti-Money Laundering Council revealed Guo funneled illicit funds through entities connected to convicted Chinese drug lord Peter Co, also known as Wu Tuan Yuan.