Ex-PNP chief Acorda questioned for ‘fraternizing’ with Michael Yang’s brother

MANILA, Philippines – Former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Benjamin Acorda was thrust into the spotlight at a Senate hearing on Tuesday, September 24, after photos of him with Chinese businessman Tony Yang, suspected of shady activities including faking a Filipino birth certificate, were shown at the resumption of the inquiry into Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGO) inquiry.

Tony Yang, whose real name Jianxin Yang, is the eldest brother of former Duterte presidential adviser Michael Yang. Yang was arrested last week for being an undesirable alien, as government investigators probe into his businesses’ alleged links to POGOs and smuggling.

When Senator Risa Hontiveros flashed group photos of Yang with Acorda, Yang confirmed he knew the police general as was the former regional police chief of Northern Mindanao, which covers Cagayan de Oro City where most of Yang’s businesses are located.

Senator Jinggoy Estrada said the group photos were taken when Acorda was still Northern Mindanao chief, and not yet the PNP chief. When asked, Yang confirmed that he knew Acorda for quite some time.

“As the police director, we know each other,” Yang said as translated by the Senate’s interpreter.

Hontiveros said there’s a warrant of arrest out for Yang in China for fraud, but the businessman said he was not aware of this.

“‘Yung mga law enforcement authorities namin, mga high officials namin, alam nila ‘yung mga bagay na ‘yun (Our law enforcement authorities, our high officials, they know these things), so in relation to the photos I talked to you about — I really wonder what our high officials in government are doing, fraternizing with a wanted fugitive. It’s not just about integrity, which is the most important thing, but the perception of integrity is also important,” said Hontiveros.

Acorda was not invited to Tuesday’s hearing. Rappler has reached out to Acorda for his statement, and we will update this story once he responds. Acorda, an Ilocano, was the second PNP chief under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

A photo of Acorda with the group of Sual, Pangasinan Mayor Liseldo “Dong” Calugay was also shown. Calugay confirmed that the photo was taken inside Camp Crame when Acorda was already PNP chief. He was with Wesley Guo, the brother of dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo and the boyfriend of the Porac, Pampanga POGO representative, Cassandra Ong.

While responding to questions on why he paid a visit to Acorda, Calugay said that the then-PNP chief used to be the Sual police chief.

Acorda retired on March 31, just two weeks after one of the biggest raids on POGOs, particularly in Bamban, Tarlac, which were joint operations of the Presidential Anti-Organized Commission (PAOCC) and the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).

The CIDG chief at the time of the Bamban raids, Major General Romeo Caramat, was already questioned for firing the raiding team instead of commending them for what lawmakers said was a job well done in busting the POGO.

According to Caramat, he was kept in the dark about the raids and that he even confronted then-PNP chief Acorda about it. “To be honest, Mr. Chair, I was upset why I was not informed. It was a slap on my face as the director of the CIDG and they used my men in that raid and they didn’t bother to inform me so I was upset,” Caramat said during the last Senate hearing on September 17.

It was also during the September 17 hearing that a Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) executive, retired general Raul Villanueva, said that there’s a rumor within the intelligence community that a former PNP chief was on Alice Guo’s payroll.

At the start of the hearing, Senator Ronald dela Rosa delivered a statement of a group of former PNP chiefs, of which he is part of, criticizing Villanueva was making an “irresponsible” claim.

“The council of chiefs strongly condemns the irresponsible statement made by retired brigadier general now senior Pagcor official Raul Villanueva,” said Dela Rosa, reading the statement of the group.

“This is a sweeping accusation that maligns and brings dishonor to all of us former chiefs who have dedicated the best years of our lives in the service of the Filipino nation,” said Dela Rosa, quoting again from the group’s statement.

During the hearing, Dela Rosa asked Villanueva about his earlier statement. Villanueva reiterated that when he made the statement on a former PNP chief’s alleged involvement in Guo’s escape, he had already clarified at the time that it was based on unverified rumors and speculations from the intelligence community. – Rappler.com