House committees hail Tony Yang arrest as breakthrough in POGO probe

House committees view the arrest of Tony Yang, brother of former presidential economic adviser Michael Yang, as a significant breakthrough in their investigation into illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) and drug smuggling.

Tony Yang, owner of Philippine Sanjia Steel Corporation, was arrested on September 19 for being an undesirable alien, with his company's warehouse in Cagayan de Oro coinciding with POGO hub construction timelines.

Senator Risa Hontiveros described the Yang family business as a "massive crime syndicate" and stated that Tony Yang's arrest will help establish his connections to POGOs, similar to his brothers Michael and Hongjiang.

Yang Jian Xin, allegedly using the names Tony Yang and Antonio Lim, is believed to be the president of Philippine Sanjia Steel Corporation and owns a passport under the name Antonio Lim.

Lawmakers anticipate Tony Yang's cooperation to shed light on illicit activities masked as legitimate businesses and bolster the case against Michael Yang.

Tony Yang is reportedly wanted in China for financial scamming.

Michael Yang's lawyer has previously denied his client's involvement in POGOs, calling such statements unfair and lacking legal or factual basis, and asserting that legislators were acting as prosecutors rather than fact-finders.