The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has placed former presidential adviser on economic affairs Michael Yang under the lookout bulletin.
Michael Yang, also known as Yang Hong Ming, is one of the subjects of an ongoing senate investigation on the budget utilization of government-procured pandemic response supplies.
BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said that the Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order (ILBO) was issued following an order from the Department of Justice (DOJ) as requested by the chair of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, Senator Richard Gordon.
“This matter is of national interest. We have made the proper arrangements, and our immigration officers are now on the lookout for the possible departure of the suspect personalities,” Morente said.
Morente further shared that an earlier ILBO was likewise issued for Atty. Lloyd Christopher Lao, former chief of the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM), pursuant to a September 7 order from the DOJ.
Aside from Lao and Yang, the BI has also placed Overall Deputy Ombudsman Atty. Warren Rex Liong and Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp.’s executives Twinkle Dargani, Huang Tzu Yen, Krizle Grace Mago, Justine Garado, Linconn Ong, and Mohit Dargani under the lookout bulletin.
To recall, the Senate has started a probe on Pharmally, a start-up company that was awarded over P8 billion worth of government contracts despite being less than a year old with just P625,000 in paid-up capital.
Lookout bulletin order issued vs Michael Yang, 8 others — BI
Morente then clarified, however, that an ILBO is for monitoring the movements of subjects who might attempt to place themselves beyond the reach of the legal process by leaving the country.
An ILBO is issued for prudence to double check if there are any pending arrest warrants against the subjects, or monitor their itineraries and whereabouts, should they attempt to leave the country.
Yang is being linked to the controversial company Pharamally which was allegedly involved in corruption in the government.
Pharmally said Yang also lent them P7.29 billion.
“The company is different from the company in 2017. We are not a dummy company… I’m not here to defend Michael Yang. He really does not know about me, my involvement in Pharmally. But when we bagged this contract, we asked Lincoln Ong to approach Mr. Michael Yang,” said Huang Tzu Ten, chairman and president of Pharmally.
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