MANILA, Philippines — The quad committee of the House of Representatives ordered the detention of former Mexico, Pampanga mayor Teddy Tumang for “lying and evading questions from committee members” during its 12th hearing yesterday.
On a motion by Abang Lingkod party-list Rep. Stephen Paduano, the quad comm imposed the contempt order on Tumang after he gave confusing answers to questions of Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro.
Luistro concluded that Tumang may have been helping Chinese nationals, who were incorporators of Empire 999, in illegally acquiring properties in Mexico, Pampanga during the former mayor’s term.
The lawmaker was trying to establish Tumang’s closeness with Chinese nationals and Empire 999 incorporators Aedy Ty Yang and Willy Ong, who owned the Mexico warehouse where Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and National Bureau of Investigation agents seized 560 kilos of shabu worth P3 billion in September 2023.
Luistro asked Tumang if he “personally know Aedy Ty Yang and Willy Ong,” but the former Mexico mayor immediately said, “No, Your Honor.”
In her follow-up question, Luistro asked Tumang if he ever met Yang and Ong, to which he admitted the two Chinese nationals once went to his office expressing interest to buy properties in Mexico.
It was at this point that Paduano butted in and told Tumang, “You are lying.”
“I have evidence that you personally know Aedy Ty Yang and Willy Ong. In fact, you traveled together to Fujian in China. I have photos showing you, Yang and Ong together,” Paduano told Tumang.
Tumang then admitted to Paduano that he went to China with Yang, Ong and other officials of Mexico, Pampanga.
“So you are lying, you are evasive. I am sorry to say this, your style is rotten. In my committee (public accounts) and the committee on dangerous drugs, we have known you already,” Paduano said.
Apparently feeling the pressure of being grilled by lawmakers, Tumang asked the committee to excuse him while Paduano was manifesting his motion to hold the former mayor in contempt.
Luistro resumed questioning Tumang on his ties with Yang, but he asked to be excused, saying he was feeling ill.
POGOs and drugs
The PDEA revealed to the quad comm yesterday the network of criminal activities linking Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) to drug syndicates and corporate fraud.
PDEA deputy director general Renato Gumban presented a matrix showing how transnational syndicates took advantage of the legal loopholes and corporate structures to facilitate drug trafficking, money laundering and questionable land deals involving foreign nationals.
Gumban traced the investigation’s origins to the seizure of P3 billion worth of shabu in Mexico, Pampanga in a warehouse owned by Ong, with assistance from dismissed mayor Tumang.
Further investigation showed that Ong and Empire 999 were part of a larger network of interconnected companies engaged in illicit activities.
PDEA’s presentation established a direct connection between POGOs and criminal syndicates.
Investigators highlighted Hongsheng Gaming Technology Inc., a POGO operator in Bamban, Tarlac as a key player.
Grijaldo snubs probe
Reps. Benny Abante (Manila 6th District) and Dan Fernandez (Sta. Rosa, Laguna) were irked by the non-appearance of police Col. Hector Grijaldo in the quad comm’s 12th hearing on POGOs and its connection to illegal drugs.
Grijaldo earlier accused Abante and Fernandez of coercing him into corroborating the allegations of former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office general manager and retired police colonel Royina Garma that there was a reward system in Duterte’s war on drugs.
Grijaldo sent a letter with medical certificates attached, saying that he could not attend yesterday’s hearing because he was still undergoing treatment for shoulder rotator cuff.
Abante and Fernandez have promised to inhibit themselves from the quad comm inquiry if and when Grijado shows up. The rest of the joint panel could question Grijaldo.
Chinese ‘spy’
Despite terminating its investigation on illegal POGOs, a Senate panel retains its jurisdiction to pursue access to critical information from detained She Zhijiang, a self-confessed Chinese spy featured on an Al Jazeera documentary who could be a key figure linked to POGO activities.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros, chair of the Senate committee on women, children and family relations, emphasized the importance of accessing information from She that could significantly affect national security.
The National Intelligence Coordinating Agency is expected to present its findings on the entry of Chinese intelligence agents into the Philippines during an executive session.
Hontiveros noted the importance of speaking with She as he allegedly has information on one of the Yang brothers, which she added may indicate that he is a foreign agent. – Cecille Suerte Felipe, Emmanuel Tupas