Teodoro Hits China Over ‘Extortion’ Of 100 Pinoys

China’s reported immigration action against over 100 Filipinos is “plain and simple extortion and blackmail,” Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said on Thursday, Aug. 13.

“We strongly condemn both the attempt by China to interfere in our law enforcement processes and the blatant blackmail against Filipinos,” Teodoro said in a statement.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said China’s immigration authorities have taken law-based action against more than 100 Philippine nationals for illegal employment and illegal residence in China, as part of efforts to step up supervision over such violations.

China’s action against Filipinos is seen as retaliation for a series of Philippine operations involving Chinese nationals.

“Filipinos in China have neither the intent nor the capacity to commit violations of Chinese law much less in the scale perpetuated by Chinese nationals here,” Teodoro said in a statement.

“The fact that the Chinese government is actively covering up for these individuals is the best evidence of their complicity in the nefarious acts of these people,” he said.

Teodoro defended the arrests of Chinese nationals in operations backed by court-issued warrants.

In May, 70 Chinese workers at Sanjia Steel in Misamis Oriental were arrested.

“The law enforcement efforts against the Chinese nationals that are referred to in a recent report were done on the basis of search warrants issued by the proper courts. The individuals arrested by the authorities were the principals of these illegal enterprises,” Teodoro said.

“Chinese authorities stress the issue of the work visas and passports of these individuals while refusing to address the illegal activities that they perpetuated. This is an admission by them that indeed the acts of these individuals were illegal under Philippine law,” he added.

The defense chief had warned individuals against interfering with the investigation into the illegal operations involving the undocumented Chinese workers of the steel plant, saying it is a national security issue.

“I reiterate that if these Chinese nationals were not involved in defrauding the Filipino people, which is now amplified by the cover up done by Chinese authorities, then they will be treated in the same way as other law-abiding foreigners residing in the Philippines,” Teodoro said.

Teodoro visited the Philippine Veterans Investment Development Corp. Industrial Authority in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental following reports of an alleged illegal operation involving undocumented foreign nationals and Filipino workers handling potentially hazardous materials.

The visit was conducted in coordination with the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission, which sought the assistance of the Department of National Defense in addressing the situation and ensuring the safety and welfare of affected personnel and surrounding communities.

The Department of Foreign Affairs said Philippine law enforcement operations are not directed against any nationality following concerns raised by the Chinese embassy in Manila over “frequent” apprehension of their nationals.

The DFA said the Philippines respects the rights of all foreign nationals under Philippine law with law enforcement actions based on specific acts and evidence, and are not directed against any nationality.