Chinese nationals working at a steel manufacturing facility in Misamis Oriental were legally employed and properly documented, a company lawyer said Wednesday, as the plant remains shut nearly two weeks after a government raid over alleged hazardous materials.
In an interview on DZRH’s Dos Por Dos, Atty. Julia Chu of Bernabe Chu Dulay & Chiong (BCDC Law) said all foreign workers of Philippine Sanjia-Steel Corp. have valid alien employment permits and work visas, contradicting claims that undocumented workers were discovered during the operation.
“All workers of Sanjia have alien employment permits and work visas,” Chu said. “We have compiled these documents and are ready to present them to authorities.”
Chu said the facility has remained closed since the raid, with operations halted and employees barred from entering. Armed personnel continue to occupy the compound, though the company has yet to confirm which agencies they represent.
“There has been a complete stoppage of operations. Workers are not allowed inside, and there are still armed personnel in the facility,” she said.
On May 15, authorities from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) raided and sealed off the facility in Tagoloan town, citing suspicions of illegal handling and possible manufacturing of hazardous materials.
Officials allegedly cited two grounds for the raid: the presence of radioactive materials and the supposed discovery of undocumented foreign workers. Chu said the search warrant referred broadly to “radioactive steel” but did not specify what levels would be considered unsafe or illegal.
She noted that trace amounts of radioactive elements naturally exist in the environment and questioned whether any materials at the plant exceeded regulatory limits.
Chu also raised concerns over the apparent lack of technical experts during the raid, despite the involvement of multiple enforcement agencies.
“We believe there should have been technical experts to determine whether there were unsafe levels of radiation,” she said.
Citing a Department of Health report dated May 19, Chu said tested workers showed no symptoms of radiation exposure. She added that Filipino and Chinese employees work side by side in the same environment.
About 69 workers, including Chinese nationals, remain detained at the New Bilibid Prison nearly two weeks after the raid, Chu said, adding that no formal charges have been filed against them.
“The company is exhausting all legal remedies to secure their release and to reopen the facility,” she said.
Chu explained that the Chinese employees serve as technical personnel, providing specialized expertise to support steel production and facilitate technology transfer alongside Filipino workers.
Despite disputing the allegations, Chu said the company is cooperating with authorities and awaiting clarification on the basis of the raid.
“We trust in due process and that this situation will be resolved properly,” she said.
