Cagayan de oro: Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado has requested the Municipal Trial Court Branch 7 in Cagayan de Oro (CDO) to ensure that businessman Tony Yang remains in the custody of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) should the court decide to grant bail to the Chinese national.

According to Philippines News Agency, Viado expressed concerns that Yang might evade legal proceedings if released on bail. “We fear that Yang might go into hiding to avoid further legal action. There is a strong concern that he might abscond if released, knowing that he still has a pending case with us,” Viado stated in a statement released on Saturday.

Yang was apprehended in 2024 at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 in Pasay City by the BI fugitive search unit and intelligence division, in coordination with the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission, after arriving from CDO. Yang, also known by his Chinese name Yang Jianxin, has been associated with Philippine offshore gaming operations.

Currently detained in the province, Yang is facing charges of falsification of public documents, perjury, and violations of the anti-alias law in local courts-all of which are bailable offenses. However, he is simultaneously facing a deportation case due to allegations of misrepresenting himself as a Filipino.

Viado emphasized the necessity of retaining Yang in BI custody, citing the ongoing deportation case. “We believe our concerns are valid given that this is a high-profile case and he has many resources to just disappear,” Viado said. He urged the courts to consider the BI’s plea in the interest of justice.