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Authorities Arrest Tony Yang In Pasay: A Key Figure In Identity Fraud And Corporate Schemes
Photo credit: PAOCC
Authorities on Tuesday evening arrested Jianxin Yang aka Tony Yang, a Chinese national with a string of aliases, in a significant development in the government’s ongoing crackdown on identity manipulation and corporate fraud.
Yang — who also goes by the names Antonio Lim y Maestrado, Antonio M. Lim, and Tony Lim — was taken into custody at the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) Temporary Custodial Facility in Pasay City. He is the older brother of former Presidential Economic Adviser Michael Yang.
A team from the Pasay City Police Station, led by Police Colonel Joselito M. De Sesto, executed the arrest on the strength of a warrant issued last November by Judge Eleuteria Apdian Badoles-Algodon of the Municipal Trial Court Branch 2 in Cagayan de Oro City. The charges against Yang include falsification of public documents, perjury, and violation of the Alias Law.
Yang’s run-ins with the law began as early as September 2024, when he was intercepted at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 for administrative immigration violations. That operation, involving the Bureau of Immigration, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the PNP Aviation Security Group, and the PAOCC, uncovered what investigators later described as a pattern of deception.
Using the name Antonio Maestrado Lim, Yang had reportedly established at least 12 businesses across Cebu, Davao, and Cagayan de Oro — enterprises ranging from malls and rice mills to a steel plant. During his earlier apprehension, authorities also confiscated falsified identification documents, firearm licenses, nearly ₱1.4 million in cash, and other contraband.
Further investigation into Yang’s activities drew comparisons to the case of Guo Hua Ping, also known as Alice Guo, the former mayor of Bamban, Tarlac, who faced scrutiny over questionable civil documents.
“This arrest is more than just the capture of an individual; it’s about holding people accountable, no matter how deep their ties or how many names they use,” said PAOCC Executive Director Gilberto DC Cruz. “We are determined to protect the integrity of our systems and institutions from those who abuse them.”
Yang has since been booked and documented at the Pasay City Police Station, where he remains in custody pending bail. Once released, he is expected to be turned over to the Bureau of Immigration for further proceedings on his immigration offenses.
The PAOCC underscored that Yang’s arrest marks a crucial step in safeguarding public institutions from fraudulent schemes and ensuring that perpetrators, regardless of influence or identity, face the full force of the law.
Yang — who also goes by the names Antonio Lim y Maestrado, Antonio M. Lim, and Tony Lim — was taken into custody at the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) Temporary Custodial Facility in Pasay City. He is the older brother of former Presidential Economic Adviser Michael Yang.
A team from the Pasay City Police Station, led by Police Colonel Joselito M. De Sesto, executed the arrest on the strength of a warrant issued last November by Judge Eleuteria Apdian Badoles-Algodon of the Municipal Trial Court Branch 2 in Cagayan de Oro City. The charges against Yang include falsification of public documents, perjury, and violation of the Alias Law.
Yang’s run-ins with the law began as early as September 2024, when he was intercepted at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 for administrative immigration violations. That operation, involving the Bureau of Immigration, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the PNP Aviation Security Group, and the PAOCC, uncovered what investigators later described as a pattern of deception.
Using the name Antonio Maestrado Lim, Yang had reportedly established at least 12 businesses across Cebu, Davao, and Cagayan de Oro — enterprises ranging from malls and rice mills to a steel plant. During his earlier apprehension, authorities also confiscated falsified identification documents, firearm licenses, nearly ₱1.4 million in cash, and other contraband.
Further investigation into Yang’s activities drew comparisons to the case of Guo Hua Ping, also known as Alice Guo, the former mayor of Bamban, Tarlac, who faced scrutiny over questionable civil documents.
“This arrest is more than just the capture of an individual; it’s about holding people accountable, no matter how deep their ties or how many names they use,” said PAOCC Executive Director Gilberto DC Cruz. “We are determined to protect the integrity of our systems and institutions from those who abuse them.”
Yang has since been booked and documented at the Pasay City Police Station, where he remains in custody pending bail. Once released, he is expected to be turned over to the Bureau of Immigration for further proceedings on his immigration offenses.
The PAOCC underscored that Yang’s arrest marks a crucial step in safeguarding public institutions from fraudulent schemes and ensuring that perpetrators, regardless of influence or identity, face the full force of the law.
Jul 11, 2025
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