The House Quad-Committee identified the links between the businesses owned by some Chinese nationals that were involved in illegal activities and crimes on POGOs and drugs.
In the seventh hearing of the joint committee on Friday, September 27, the House panel connected the evident hierarchy and ties from the several corporations that were established as fronts to conduct illegal activities within the country.
House Deputy Speaker David Suarez highlighted how Michael Yang had a select number of associates who were observed to be connected with other businessmen such as Allan Lin. According to the Committee, Yang and Lin’s ties overlap with the raided POGO hubs.
Moreover, some of Lin and Yang's associates were found to be incorporators of several companies they owned. The most obvious figure within their network is Lin's wife, Rose Nono Lin. They found that Rose Lin is an incorporator of at least eight companies where Michael Yang is involved like the Paili Holdings Corporation.
Allan Lin, Michael Yang, and POGOs
Suarez identified Allan Lin's entry point with POGOs to be Xionwei Technology, a POGO hub established in 2016.
"Kung mapapansin niyo, kapag binaliktad natin yung pangalan na Xionwei, this is the Chinese name of Weixiong Lin aka Allan Lin," Suarez mentioned.
Xionwei Technology is linked to Brickhartz Technology Incorporated, Turquoise Diamond Technology Corporation, Oroone Inc., and Shidaikeji Technology Corporation.
According to the Philippine National Police (PNP) Anti-kidnapping Group Chief Col. Rodolfo Castil Jr., the company is involved in five out of seven kidnapping cases. Moreover, it has the same email address as Brickhartz.
Meanwhile, authorities found that Michael Yang also had several persons who consistently appeared as shareholders in his companies. In apparent compliance with the Philippines’ nationality requirement, both Michael Yang and Allan Lin had Filipino citizens as shareholders, owning more than a half percentage of their companies.
What's their link with other POGOs?
Of all the mentioned corporations, they all led to one route: BAOFU Compound. According to the House Deputy Speaker, documents from the mentioned establishments were found inside the BAOFU Compound, which was formerly owned by Alice Guo. It is the biggest POGO compound in Bamban, Tarlac.
"Ang tanong, bakit 'yon naandon? Dito natin makikita ang grupo ni Alice Guo na pawang nasa same circle and networks of friends as Allan Lin and Michael Yang," the House Deputy Speaker said.
Congressman Aurelio Gonzales Jr. emphasized Hongjiang Yang, Michael Yang's brother, as the biggest link. POGOs operated discreetly with human trafficking, sex crimes, and cyber scams. But the biggest indicator, Gonzales mentioned, was with the patterns used.
"It follows the same pattern o modus operandi na pagbili ng mga hekta-hektaryang lupain. Kung sa Bamban, ang namili ay BAOFU; sa Porac, ang namili ay ang Whirlwind. Pagkatapos niyan ay magtatayo ng mga structures o buildings,” Congressman Gonzales said.
“Halos kasabay ng pagtatayo ng physical structure ay mag a-apply ito ng POGO license,” he added.
A Criminal Enterprise
Furthermore, Gonzales likened its operations with a criminal enterprise. According to him, a criminal enterprise is, “a group of individuals with an identified hierarchy or (a) comparable structure engaged in criminal activity.
Gonzales stated that the connection between the corporations lies in the network of directors, common incorporators, and shareholders.
"Dito makikita natin ay bawat isa sa kanila may iba't ibang focus, o areas of influence sa ating bansa. These Chinese nationals are setting up corporations all over the country. Taking advantage to our laws by perpetrating and promoting illegal activities. So, the great prejudice of our country and Filipino people," Gonzales said.
The crimes were not the only ones connected, but also the people responsible for the operations. However, the House panel clarified how they are still uncovering the enterprise, and have yet to find the people who enabled them to freely operate.
“To completely paralyze them is to cut the financial stream o ang agos ng pera,” Gonzales stressed.
