TAGOLOAN, Misamis Oriental — A joint law enforcement operation targeting an illegal manufacturing facility has uncovered a major public health and security threat in Northern Mindanao. State authorities confirmed the discovery of highly toxic, radioactive materials inside the compound of Philippine Sanjia Steel Corporation, located within the Phividec Industrial Estate in Tagoloan.
The startling discovery was made after the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) led a multi-agency raid at the site, resulting in the apprehension of 69 Chinese nationals and one Filipino worker.
Subsequent laboratory testing and confirmatory site sweeps conducted by the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) revealed elevated radiation readings radiating from multiple areas within the factory, including raw material warehouses and active production floors.
- The Contaminants: Investigators discovered that the facility was systematically utilizing imported scrap materials and industrial slag from China that were heavily contaminated with Uranium-238, Thorium-228, and Thorium-232—all classified as highly hazardous, radioactive elements.
- The Corporate Web: PAOCC Undersecretary Benjamin Acorda Jr. and NBI Director Melvin Matibag revealed that the steel firm is reportedly owned by businessman Tony Yang, the brother of former presidential economic adviser Michael Yang, who is currently being scrutinized for extensive links to illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) and broader illicit foreign networks.
The raid also exposed severe labor standard abuses and immediate structural threats to public infrastructure, forcing authorities to classify the operation as a worker rescue mission:
[Contaminated Chinese Scrap Metal] ──► [Processed Without Safety Gear] ──► [Substandard Radioactive Steel Bars] │ │ ▼ ▼ [120 Filipino Workers Rescued] [Circulated into Local Markets]
- Selective Protection: While the 69 arrested Chinese nationals inside the processing areas were found wearing fully rated, specialized protective gear, the 120 local Filipino workers inside the plant were completely unequipped, working in close proximity to the radioactive slag without masks or barriers. Fortunately, initial DOH-HEMB screenings show no immediate acute symptoms of radiation sickness among the rescued locals.
- Failed Structural Standards: Beyond the radiation hazard, testing conducted by the DTI-Bureau of Philippine Standards exposed structural failures. The manufactured steel bars failed basic mass variation, elongation, and surface deformation requirements.
- Public Safety Warnings: The NBI issued a stern advisory warning that an unknown quantity of these radioactive, structurally weak steel bars may have already made their way into local hardware suppliers, potentially compromising the structural integrity of homes, bridges, and commercial buildings.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) is actively preparing a massive legal volley against the company’s executives and any complicit public figures. The 69 Chinese nationals are currently undergoing formal inquest proceedings and face stiff penalties under Republic Act No. 12305 (The Philippine Nuclear Energy and Safety Act), alongside violations of the Consumer Act, the Labor Code, and immigration laws.
“Those who will be found responsible for this will be met with cases that we have filed, including government officials, or former government officials who participated in the operation… This is about exposing disturbing realities that point to serious and deeply concerning violations involving possession of hazardous materials.” — PAOCC Undersecretary Benjamin Acorda Jr.
The facility’s operations have been entirely suspended, and the compound remains under strict, cordoned state custody while specialized hazardous material teams map out decontamination protocols for the surrounding industrial ecosystem.