The House Quad Committee formally turned over critical documents to the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) to aid in filing forfeiture cases against Chinese nationals who acquired land in the Philippines, despite constitutional restrictions on foreign ownership.
“The quad-comm will turnover documents pertaining to the land accusations and properties believed to be owned, procured, acquired by Chinese nationals,” House Committee on Dangerous Drugs Chairperson and Surigao del Norte 2nd District Representative Robert Ace Barbers said during the turnover ceremony on Monday.
The documents turned over are the findings from the Committee on Public Accounts and the Committee on Dangerous Drugs.
Members of the Quad Committee, including Representatives Dan Fernandez, Bienvenido Abante Jr., Joseph Stephen Paduano, and Romeo Acop, are appealing for a review and initiation of forfeiture proceedings with the assistance of government agencies.
“Part of the recommendation of the quad-committee is to turnover these documents to the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) in order to conduct their own investigation for future proceedings for these properties,” said Barbers.
During the investigation by the Committee on Public Accounts and the Committee on Dangerous Drugs, the joint committee uncovered that several Chinese nationals had acquired thousands of hectares of land in Pampanga.
Among those targeted by the Quad Committee are several prominent individuals mentioned during the congressional hearings. These are Chinese nationals who allegedly possess fake Filipino birth certificates to acquire land and establish businesses in the country.
One of those involved is Aedi Tai Yang, an incorporator of Empire 999 and Sunflare Industrial Supply Corporation, both of which are linked to illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).
Empire 999 owns the warehouse in Mexico, Pampanga, where P3.6 billion worth of shabu was confiscated in 2023.
The Quad Committee also submitted relevant documents detailing the questionable transactions involving hectares of land in Mexico, Pampanga, conducted by Yang with local officials.
The panel then insisted that such transactions pose a significant threat to national security, emphasizing the need to advance the case as soon as possible.
Atty. Hermes Ocampo, Assistant Solicitor General, Atty. Gilbert Medrano, Assistant Solicitor General, and Atty. Neil Lorenzo, Senior State Prosecutor, received the documents from the Quad Committee on behalf of the Office of the Solicitor General.
OSG assured that they will thoroughly review the documents and coordinate with various government agencies.
Basahin>Quad Comm thru Comm on Dangerous Drugs ni Cong Robert Ace Barbers, tinurn-over na sa Office of Solicitor General ang mga document para magamit sa mga kaso kabilang ang civil forfeiture proceedings vs Chinese nationals na nakakuha ng fraudulent PH birth certs @dzrhnews pic.twitter.com/C5fmdRVONQ
— milky rigonan đź’‹ (@milkyrigonan) October 21, 2024
