Former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Benjamin Acorda Jr. clarified that he was unaware that businessman Tony Yang was wanted in China when they met.
In the Senate hearing on Tuesday regarding the criminal activities of illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), Acorda emphasized that his dealings with Yang were purely professional.
Yang, the brother of Michael Yang, former presidential economic adviser to ex-President Duterte, is wanted in China.
Acorda noted that, at the time, he had not received any information about an arrest warrant against Yang in either the Philippines or China.
During the same hearing, Acorda explained how he met Sual Mayor Dong Calugay, who is linked to Alice Guo.
In last month’s Senate hearing, Senator Risa Hontiveros presented photos of Acorda with Yang and others allegedly involved in illegal POGOs.
When questioned about the photos, Yang said they met while Acorda was still stationed in Cagayan.
Acorda also thanked the Senate committee for allowing him to present his side on the issue.
Both Senator Risa Hontiveros and Senator Jinggoy Estrada acknowledged Acorda’s role in leading the investigation into illegal POGO operations in Bamban, Tarlac, which exposed several illicit POGO activities in the country.