Duterte reiterates former adviser Yang not into drugs

DAVAO CITY, Philippines — President Duterte refuted anew the claims of dismissed police official Eduardo Acierto who linked former presidential economic adviser Michael Yang to the illegal drug trade.

He again vouched for Yang who started doing business in the city in 1988, when he first arrived here. 

The President said that since that time, Yang, who owns a shopping center known for selling low-priced Chinese products, was never involved in the illegal drug trade.

“Yang Michael Yang na ‘yan (That Michael Yang), I can vouch for him because he was in Davao way back 1988. Pumunta siya sa akin, lahat naman pumupunta ng mayor eh (He paid me a visit just as everyone did to a mayor), especially if they are aliens, foreigners wanting to do business here,” he recalled during a speech in Iloilo City the other night, adding that most foreign nationals would usually pay him a courtesy visit whenever they want to do business in Davao City.

Acierto accused the President, together with senatorial candidates Bong Go and Ronald dela Rosa, and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) director general Aaron Aquino of “protecting” the group led by Yang.

But Duterte maintained that Yang, whose appointment as presidential economic adviser expired in December 2018, is innocent of Acierto’s accusations and that he is not protecting him from such allegations.

He also denied paying P5 million for a bust, saying Acierto was just making a story.

The dismissed police officer came up with a new video over the weekend to prove that, instead of investigating Yang, the President is protecting the Chinese national.

Duterte said Acierto was involved in the kidnap-slay of Hanjin executive Jee Ick-joo in 2016 inside Camp Crame. – With Christina Mendez