The Bureau of Immigration has urged a Cagayan de Oro court to return Tony Yang to its custody if he is granted bail. The agency cited a significant flight risk, fearing he might evade ongoing legal cases. Tony Yang, brother of Michael Yang, faces charges related to identity fraud and a pending deportation.
In a statement on Saturday, October 25, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said it requested the Cagayan de Oro Municipal Trial Court Branch 7 to turn over Tony Yang, citing a significant flight risk. Yang, also known as Yang Jianxin in Chinese documents, was arrested in September 2024 by the BI's fugitive search unit and intelligence division, in coordination with the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission, at NAIA Terminal 3.
He is currently detained in Cagayan de Oro, facing multiple local charges that are all bailable, including falsification of public documents, perjury, and anti-alias law violations. However, the BI's primary concern is a separate deportation case for undesirability, based on allegations that he misrepresented himself as a Filipino citizen.
"We fear that Yang might go into hiding to avoid further legal action," Immigration Commissioner Joel Viado said. "There is a strong concern that he might abscond if released, knowing that he still has a pending case with us," he added.
Tony is the brother of the former economic adviser to detained former president Rodrigo Duterte. During his 2024 arrest, authorities uncovered an extensive network of corporate and identity fraud linked to him. He reportedly operated under the alias Antonio Maestrado Lim to establish at least 12 companies in Cebu, Davao, and Cagayan de Oro, including malls, rice mills, and a steel plant.