China threatened to arrest Filipinos in the country following a raid on a steel plant in Misamis Oriental that led to the arrest of 69 Chinese nationals, a Philippine anti-organized crime official told a Senate hearing Thursday.
Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission Executive Director Benjamin Acorda Jr. said the threat was raised during a visit by Chinese Embassy officials to his office after the May operation against the Philippine Sanjia-Steel Corp. steel plant.
“After our conversation, sinabihan po tayo na there is a threat na huhulihin din ang mga Pilipino sa ibang bansa nila pag hindi natin pinakawalan ang mga Chinese workers,” Acorda told the Senate Committee on Economic Affairs.
The raid targeted a facility that authorities said was producing allegedly substandard steel products and had radioactive materials. Sixty-nine Chinese nationals working at the plant were arrested during the operation.
Acorda also questioned how quickly the Chinese Embassy obtained documents related to the operation.
“On the second day of the operation, right there and then, may kopya na ang embahada ng China, kumpleto silang dokumento, parang mas nauna pa silang nakakuha ng dokumento kaysa sa amin,” he said.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros criticized the alleged threat, calling it retaliation for a legitimate Philippine law enforcement operation.
“Not something to be appreciated at all. Yung ganyang mga banta o simple retaliation para sa legitimate law enforcement operations dito sa ating bansa,” Hontiveros said.
The issue came as China confirmed this week that about 100 Filipinos in China are facing immigration actions for allegedly illegally entering, staying or working in the country.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said Monday that China's immigration authorities have been conducting special operations against foreigners who illegally enter, live or work in China.
“China’s national immigration authorities have made consistent effort to strengthen supervision of foreigners illegally entering, living or working in China and carried out special operations in accordance with the law,” Guo said.
China did not directly say whether the actions against the Filipinos were connected to the arrest of Chinese nationals in the Philippines.
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. condemned the actions against the Filipinos, describing them as “plain and simple extortion and blackmail.”
Teodoro also said the Filipino workers in China should not be treated in the same manner as the Chinese nationals arrested in the Philippines, arguing that there was evidence of alleged illegal activities involving the latter.
He further accused the Chinese government of covering up illegal activities in the Philippines.
“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,” Teodoro said.
