Philippine embassy in Beijing to help arrested Pinoys
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Foreign Affairs has directed officials and personnel of the Philippine embassy in Beijing to provide immediate assistance to Filipinos arrested in China over alleged immigration law violations.
In a statement on Thursday, the DFA said it has taken note of the statement issued by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs concerning the arrest of over 100 Filipino nationals in China.
“We call on Chinese authorities to safeguard the welfare of the arrested Filipinos and to promptly notify our foreign service posts of their arrest and detention, consistent with the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations and the 2013 Philippines-China Consular Agreement,” DFA said.
Such action by Chinese authorities follows the arrest of some 70 Chinese workers at Sanjia Steel in Misamis Oriental last May over Philippine immigration law and work permits violations for foreign nationals.
Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr., who joined the raid of the steel firm, noted that the law enforcement efforts against the Chinese nationals 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. 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 noted.
He described China’s act of arresting over a hundred Filipinos for alleged immigration law violations as “plain and simple extortion and blackmail.”
In a recent interview at the Kapihan sa Manila Bay news forum, Teodoro gave assurance that the government and the military are not targeting Chinese businessmen or businesses in the country. — Pia Lee-Brago
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