A photo of kidnapper Yang Jianmin with Harry Roque, former spokesperson for ex-President Duterte, who is currently seeking asylum in the Netherlands.
A photo of kidnapper Yang Jianmin with Imee Marcos, the elder sister of Bongbong Marcos and an ally of Sara Duterte, who is a senator.
On April 20, 2025, the hottest topic on Philippine social media was not celebrity gossip, but two photos that quickly went viral—the main character being the recently surrendered kidnapper David Tan Liao, also known as Xiao Changjiang, Yang Jianmin, Michael Yang, etc.
He took photos with two well-known figures in the Philippine political scene, causing a significant stir with this wave of "nostalgic photos."
One of the photos shows Yang Jianmin with Harry Roque, the former spokesperson for President Duterte. Roque is currently a fugitive wanted in connection with illegal offshore gambling and is seeking political asylum in the Netherlands. The other photo is with current Senator Imee Marcos, who is also the elder sister of Bongbong Marcos.
The timing, dissemination, and targets of these photos make them not just a set of "nostalgic photos" but seem like a premeditated political maneuver.
There are indications that the photos were initially released by the "pro-Marcos" camp, aiming to pin the label of "close ties with kidnappers" on key figures in the Duterte camp, to boost their campaign for the upcoming elections.
But is it really that simple?
In fact, there have been many photos of Yang Jianmin with figures from politics, business, and entertainment exposed long ago. These photos show that Yang Jianmin is a "social habitual offender" who is keen on participating in Filipino-Chinese community events, almost always asking for photos with people regardless of political stance or familiarity.
For example, his photo with former President Arroyo was clearly just a forced snapshot after a chance encounter.
Over the years, Yang Jianmin has been very active in community organizations, serving as chairman and vice-chairman of several Filipino-Chinese organizations, and using "Dragon Travel Agency" as a cover to scout for kidnapping targets in the Filipino-Chinese community. He often contacted political figures through community gatherings and charity fundraising events to "package" himself.
During the 2022 presidential election, he frequently appeared at Chinese community events supporting Bongbong Marcos, was even photographed with Imee Marcos at a campaign fundraising event, and there were rumors that he had made political donations.
According to unofficial sources, Yang Jianmin's real name is Xiao Changjiang, from Nan'an, Fujian, has long settled in the Philippines, married several Filipino women, and has several children, some of whom work in the military and police systems. His son James Yang was selected for the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) in 2024.
As for the series of airport kidnapping cases involving Chinese tourists, the police have not explicitly stated, but there have been multiple speculations that these cases are orchestrated by Yang Jianmin's gang. He is likely one of the key figures behind several kidnapping cases of Chinese businessmen in the Philippines in recent years.
Therefore, specifically releasing photos with Roque and Imee Marcos, while ignoring his past close ties and possible political donations to the Marcos camp, raises questions about the motives behind it. These photos were taken during the 2022 pandemic when people were still wearing masks, at a time when the Marcos camp was strongly supported by the Chinese community, and Yang Jianmin, as an enthusiastic community member, naturally had the opportunity to get close.
In summary, this attempt to link the kidnapper with political adversaries may ultimately backfire. If traced back to the roots, Yang Jianmin's relationship with the Marcos camp may not be more distant than that with the Duterte camp. The current online accusations of "Duterte's people photographed with kidnappers" may soon turn into a joke of "firing on both sides."
