According to a report jointly released by Philippine media and the international investigative organization OCCRP, Lin Weixiong, the financial manager of Pharmally Pharmaceutical Company, and Michael Yang, former economic advisor to Rodrigo Duterte, profited immensely during the pandemic by securing large government contracts, spending 1 billion pesos on luxury homes in Dubai.
In 2021, Lin Weixiong purchased a luxury mansion in Emirates Hills, a high-end residential area in Dubai, valued at approximately 804 million pesos.
Subsequently, this property was resold in 2022 for a profit, earning 250,000 dirhams (about 37 million pesos). Additionally, he purchased another property in the luxury district of District One in Dubai, with a total value of 4.7 million US dollars.
Immigration records indicate that Michael Yang entered and exited Dubai multiple times in 2021 and left the Philippines for Dubai in 2024.
Pharmally rapidly accumulated wealth in 2020 due to large pandemic contracts from the Duterte government, totaling 7.4 billion pesos (155 million US dollars), but faced criticism for substandard quality and delivery delays.
In May 2024, the Philippine Ombudsman filed a corruption lawsuit against Lin Weixiong, accusing him of using Pharmally as a "tool" to secure government contracts and brought three charges of corruption against him. However, despite Michael Yang being a key figure in terms of funding and guarantees, he has not yet faced any charges, leading to questions and dissatisfaction among senators.
Furthermore, Lin Weixiong and Michael Yang are also involved in other complex business networks, including illegal gambling operations. Lin Weixiong's wife, Rose Nono Lin, serves as a shareholder or executive in seven of these companies and is preparing to run again for Congress in the fifth district of Quezon City.
Senate reports show that Michael Yang moved to the Philippines in 1999 but did not start paying taxes until 2018. Several senators believe that Yang used his relationship with Duterte to evade legal responsibilities, suspected of tax evasion, money laundering, and illegally obtaining huge profits.
Lin Weixiong and Michael Yang remain key subjects of investigation by the House of Representatives' bipartisan committee, accused of involvement in illegal drug trading in other joint ventures.
