Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Thursday accused the Chinese Embassy in Manila of protecting Chinese nationals allegedly involved in illegal activities in the Philippines, escalating an already heated dispute between Philippine and Chinese officials.
Teodoro said the embassy’s recent statements on several cases involving Chinese nationals amounted to an attempt to shield individuals facing allegations in the Philippines.
“The Chinese Embassy is now a PR firm for Tony Yang and other illegal activities in this country which are apparently their clients,” Teodoro said.
“From their public statements in the past days it is obvious that they are covering up for these people. The public is aware of their role which is now obvious,” he added.
Teodoro urged Filipinos to speak out against what he described as inappropriate conduct by a foreign diplomatic mission.
“Our citizens need to condemn this. Of all the embassies here in the Philippines, this is the first time we have witnessed this kind of abuse. We must show that we will not tolerate this!” he said in Filipino.
The Chinese Embassy rejected the accusation.
Embassy spokesperson Ji Lingpeng described Teodoro’s claim as “simply absurd,” saying people who violate Philippine laws should face legal consequences regardless of their nationality.
“This is simply absurd! Anyone who breaks the law should be brought to justice, regardless of their nationality,” Ji said.
He said China and the Philippines have also cooperated on law enforcement, resulting in the arrest and repatriation of more than 2,500 suspects to China in recent years.
More than 60 suspects have been repatriated to China so far this year, including people allegedly involved in Philippine offshore gaming operator-related activities, fraud, kidnapping and murder, Ji said.
“These figures clearly demonstrate China’s firm resolve to combat crime,” he said.
The embassy also defended its involvement in cases involving detained Chinese nationals, saying it has a responsibility to provide consular assistance and protect their legitimate rights.
Ji said the embassy would intervene when Chinese citizens are allegedly framed, falsely accused or subjected to unfair treatment.
He cited the case of Chinese workers detained following a raid at the Sanjia Steel plant in Misamis Oriental.
According to Ji, 70 Chinese workers were detained in cramped cells measuring about 5 square meters, or roughly 0.4 square meter per person based on his account.
Philippine authorities have said 69 of those detained were Chinese nationals and one was Filipino.
Ji questioned whether the treatment of the workers could be considered a legitimate national security or law enforcement operation.
“Can anyone honestly claim that this constitutes a legitimate national security concern or a normal law enforcement operation?” he said.
The exchange comes amid a continuing dispute between Philippine and Chinese officials over the Sanjia case and the treatment of Chinese nationals detained in the operation.
Teodoro did not identify in his latest statement the specific illegal activities he was referring to when he accused the Chinese Embassy of covering for Yang and other individuals.
