The Department of Justice (DoJ) on Wednesday disclosed that it plans to file criminal charges against Tony Yang, the brother of former President Rodrigo Duterte’s economic adviser Michael Yang.
This comes as the Senate continues its investigation over the alleged illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said that Yang would face criminal cases in addition to immigration violations.
“We will file criminal charges against Yang instead of deporting him,” Remulla said.
During the Senate probes, Yang denied involvement with POGOs when questioned by Senators Risa Hontiveros and Sherwin Gatchalian.
Remulla said the government had a choice between immediate deportation and filing criminal charges.
“I think the filing of criminal cases takes precedence now,” Remulla said.
Meantime, Justice Undersecretary Nicholas Felix Ty said multiple government agencies were investigating other criminal cases against Yang.
The DoJ, National Bureau of Investigation, Anti-Money Laundering Council, Bureau of Immigration and the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission were coordinating efforts to investigate these cases, including falsification and the use of an illegal alias.
Ty also disclosed that the DoJ would also investigate Yang’s other businesses, particularly a warehouse suspected to be a POGO hub, to identify potential criminal activities.
He added that Yang allegedly used his fake Filipino citizenship to acquire property and businesses in the Philippines.
Undersecretary Raul Vasquez, on the other hand, said that in addition to facing complaints related to illegal POGOs, former Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo could also face falsification charges.
He said the preliminary investigation of all Guo’s cases was ongoing, and other criminal cases were being studied by law enforcement and prosecution. These cases would be filed depending on the investigation, particularly the falsification of documents that allowed her to obtain a Philippine passport.
In other developments, Remulla said he was still struggling to politely decline selfie requests without offending anyone as he sounded the alarm about the growing risk of selfies being used by scammers or people with malicious intentions.
He also admitted that it was difficult to say “no” to selfie requests, especially in the Philippines where hospitality is valued. However, these seemingly harmless photos could be turned into “weapons” by malicious individuals.