CHINESE nationals caught in the Philippines were arrested by virtue of existing laws, says Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. even as he took another jab at China for clamping Filipinos to gain leverage.
In a statement, Teodoro claimed that the supposed arrest of 100 Filipinos in China is “plain and simple extortion and blackmail.” He also rejected any comparison between Filipinos nabbed in China and Chinese nationals arrested by law enforcers in the Philippines.
“We strongly condemn both the attempt by China to interfere in our law enforcement processes and the blatant blackmail against Filipinos,” Teodoro said.
As of this writing, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is still verifying the reported arrests of Filipinos by Chinese authorities.
ILLEGAL MIGRANTS
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun previously confirmed that Chinese immigration authorities had taken action against more than 100 Philippine nationals for allegedly illegally working or living in China.
When asked whether the Chinese government’s action was in response to the Philippines’ “frequent detention of Chinese nationals,” Guo said the operations were part of China’s efforts to strengthen supervision of foreigners illegally entering, living or working in the country and were carried out in accordance with Chinese law.
“Actions have been taken in accordance with the law against over 100 Philippine nationals for illegally working or living in China,” Guo said.
He added that Chinese immigration personnel acted in a “standard and civil manner” during the operations and ensured the protection of the rights and interests of the foreign nationals concerned.
VIOLATING PH LAWS
Prior to the arrest of 100 Filipinos in China, Philippine authorities pulled off a high-profile arrest of a group of Chinese in Mindanao for wanton violation of existing laws.
According to Teodoro, the operation against the Chinese nationals in Mindanao was also carried out with valid search warrants issued by the proper courts and those arrested were the main suspects behind alleged illegal activities.
“The individuals arrested by the authorities were the principals of these illegal enterprises,” Teodoro said.
SKETCHY REPORTS
In a statement, the DFA said they’re in the process of verifying the arrest of Filipino nationals in China through the Philippine Embassy in Beijing and Philippine consulates in China.
By its own admission the DFA said that there is no exact count as to how many Filipinos have been detained. The government, the DFA added, is also verifying the status and cases filed against the Filipinos under detention.
“The Philippines respects China’s sovereign right to enforce its immigration laws, as it does the right of every state to enforce its own laws on foreign nationals within its jurisdiction,” the DFA said.
The Philippine government also urged Chinese authorities to ensure the welfare of the detained Filipinos and promptly inform Philippine diplomatic posts of their arrests and detention, in accordance with the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations and the 2013 Philippines-China Consular Agreement.
SERIOUS VIOLATIONS
In May, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) arrested 69 Chinese nationals and one Filipino at a steel manufacturing facility in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental.
According to the NBI, the Chinese were working illegally. The bureau is coordinating with the Bureau of Immigration (BI), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) over possible violations of immigration, labor and environmental laws.
The raided plant, which has been producing “substandard steel,” is reportedly owned by a Chinese businessman facing charges of violations of immigration laws, falsification of public documents and perjury.
The plant’s operation raised concerns over radioactive contamination at the 22.6-hectare facility after the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute detected radioactive materials — uranium-238, thorium-228 and thorium-232, in imported scrap metals used by the plant.
The DENR has since issued a closure order on the facility.
PREVIOUS ARRESTS
In January last year, Philippine authorities also arrested five suspected Chinese spies over alleged illegal intelligence-gathering activities.
In March 2025, authorities also arrested Chinese nationals and a Filipino on Grande Island in Subic Bay also for alleged intelligence-gathering involving Philippine and foreign naval assets.
The government also banned offshore gaming operations mostly controlled by Chinese nationals who allegedly victimize their fellow countrymen who are not allowed to gamble in their homeland.
Several Chinese nationals have also been arrested or are wanted for alleged kidnapping, murder and torture also of fellow Chinese.
