Duterte clears Chinese businessman of drug ties; Roque belies online report
President Duterte has cleared a Davao-based Chinese businessman Michael Yang of being an alleged drug dealer during his speech before Philippine Military Academy (PMA) alumni in Malacañang Thursday night.
Duterte said he is certain that Yang owns Davao City Los Amigos (DCLA) shopping center. He also said the Yang’s links to Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Zhao Jinhua and Chinese Premier Le Keqiang is proof he is not involved the drug trade.
“Ito daw si isang Michael Yang na drug addict daw. Ang ambassador ng China diyan natutulog sa bahay niya. At saka kasama ‘yan doon sa entourage ni Premier of China (They said Michael Yang is a dr ug addict. The Chinese Ambassador sleeps in his house, he’s even part of the entourage of the Chinese Premier),” he said.
“Kasama-sama palagi ni Ambassador Zhao. Hindi mo rin maloko ‘yan military ‘yan eh. ‘Yang ambassador natin military ‘yan ng China. Kalokohan (He’s with Ambassador Zhao who is from a military. You can’t fool him. That’s nonsense),” he added.
In a press briefing Friday, Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque also cleared Yang and Zhao’s names following a report claiming that Duterte linked the two.
“I think it’s very clear that what the President meant to say is that number 1, he cannot believe that Michael Yang is involved in the drug trade; and number 2, because he was saying he could not believe that Michael Yang is involved in the drug trade, the report that the President linked the Chinese Ambassador to a drug lord is obviously false,” Roque said.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) also took “grave exception” to an article posted by online news platform (not The Manila Bulletin) that insinuated illegal drug links between Zhao and Yang.
“I’ve reviewed the speech of the President on Facebook. I have to say that there was a malicious misrepresentation by Rappler in its article that said that the President linked the ambassador to a drug lord,” DFA Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano told reporters.
Cayetano was referring to an article entitled “Duterte links wealthy ‘drug pusher’ to Chinese ambassador” which was posted on Thursday.
Roque said: “That report by Rappler is wrong, false, even malicious. It is very dangerous because it could possibly endanger the bilateral relations between the Philippines and China.”