'Disgusting' bid to release POGO-linked Tony Yang happened, says Viado
MANILA, Philippines — Immigration Commissioner Joel Viado has confirmed that an attempt was made to secure the release on bail of high-profile detainee Tony Yang, a figure linked to Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) operations, during Viado’s absence from office.
In a statement on Tuesday, June 10, Viado disclosed that he firmly blocked the move to release Yang upon his return — a decision he believes might be fueling the ongoing “vilification campaign” against him and the Bureau of Immigration.
“It is a fact that I was informed about this attempt. Upon my return, I gave strict instructions to ensure that this resolution is rescinded," Viado said in a statement.
"It is a fact that I rejected the plea to allow Mr. Yang to be released on bail. It is a fact that it was my decision to keep him in detention while facing judicial processes here in our country,” he added.
Smear campaign. Viado’s disclosures comes as he continues to grapple with what he has previously termed an “orchestrated campaign” to put the bureau in a negative light.
In earlier statements, the commissioner labeled corruption allegations against him as “patently false” and the handiwork of “shadowy characters” and “vested interests” whose illegal operations within the bureau have been disrupted by his reform efforts.
“However, to put certain matters to rest, I would like to clarify one item that has been mentioned in media. This has to do with speculations that the apparent vilification campaign against the BI is nothing more than an attempt by some aggrieved parties to get back at me for requests I did not grant,” he said in a statement.
“In addition, there have been speculations that the said rejected request have to do with the case of one Tony Yang, a high-profile detainee currently facing charges in connection with his involvement with POGO operations in the country,” he added.
Keeping the matter in-house
While Viado said he is not certain whether his rejection of Yang’s release directly triggered the accusations, he suggested that their perpetrator should be asked about the connection.
“It is a fact that while I found the effort to have Mr. Yang released on bail disgusting, I preferred to keep the matter within the agency and opted to ensure that it did not get unwarranted public attention. There are matters which I believe must be addressed within the agency. As the saying goes, I do not wish to wash dirty laundry in public,” he said.
The commissioner previously claimed that the bureau has identified individuals behind the campaign against him, including a senior bureau official allegedly “pretending to be a whistleblower” and a handful of employees affected by the agency’s “one-strike policy.”
He further suggested that the senior official had previously attempted to pressure his office to release a Chinese national linked to a powerful political figure from the previous administration.
These employees and the official reportedly directed their complaint against Viado and the bureau to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Marcos and DOJ reactions
In an interview with reporters, Marcos said it will be hard to look into the case if there are no specifics.
“Well, of course, we're looking at it. But, you know, it's difficult to study properly when it's an unsigned white paper with no specifics. But nonetheless, everything like this, we look into it and we will continue to do that,” Marcos said in a mix of English and Filipino.
Meanwhile, on June 9, the Department of Justice said that it would not probe Viado without the complainants providing evidence.
Who Is Tony Yang?
Yang is the brother of Michael Yang, a former economic adviser to detained former President Rodrigo Duterte, who was implicated in the Pharmally scandal.
He was apprehended at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 on Sept. 19, 2024, while attempting to leave the Philippines.
In a Senate inquiry on Sept. 24, 2024, Yang admitted to illegally obtaining Filipino citizenship to establish businesses in the country. Born in 1970, he only received his Philippine birth certificate in 2004 at the age of 34 — a case similar to that of suspended Mayor Alice Guo, who faces charges related to illegal POGO activities.
Despite being the president of OroOne Corp., a service provider linked to a Pharmally executive and other POGOs, Yang denies any involvement with POGOs.
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