By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines and China traded explosive accusations Thursday, with Defense Secretary Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro Jr. accusing the Chinese Embassy of shielding suspected criminals and turning its diplomatic mission into a mouthpiece for Chinese interests facing scrutiny in the country.
Teodoro lashed out at the embassy over its criticism of the government raid on Sanjia Steel Corp. in Misamis Oriental, where around 70 undocumented Chinese nationals were arrested following a court-authorized operation.
“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.
He accused the embassy of attempting to cover up for people suspected of involvement in illegal activities and urged Filipinos to reject what he described as excessive interference by a foreign mission.
The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) backed the government operation, saying the raid was an inter-agency law-enforcement action—not an assault on Chinese nationals.
Authorities said the operation was conducted pursuant to a court-issued warrant following complaints involving immigration, labor and public-safety violations.
The Chinese Embassy, however, questioned the treatment of the Chinese workers after more than 300 Filipino employees were released during the operation, raising concerns over alleged discrimination.
The dispute intensified after Teodoro earlier accused China of retaliatory arrests of more than 100 Filipinos over alleged immigration violations, describing the action as “extortion and blackmail.”
Beijing’s embassy fired back Wednesday, accusing Teodoro of unnecessarily involving military personnel in the steel plant raid and claiming Philippine national security was being driven by “fabricated narratives” and exaggerated threats.
Teodoro responded by accusing the embassy of going beyond diplomatic limits in defending Chinese nationals and individuals linked to the controversy.
“In all the Embassies ever here in the Philippines, only now have we seen this kind of excess. We need to show that we will not tolerate this,” Teodoro said.
PAOCC stressed that the Armed Forces of the Philippines only provided security and logistical support and that its participation should not be misconstrued as a military operation against Chinese workers.
The embassy rejected Teodoro’s accusation as “absurd,” saying its duty was to protect Chinese nationals from being framed, falsely accused or subjected to unfair treatment.
“But just look at how innocent Chinese workers were treated like animals by the Philippine side in the Sanjia case,” the embassy said.
The exchange marks a sharp escalation in the diplomatic confrontation, with Manila and Beijing now openly accusing each other of abusing law enforcement, protecting wrongdoers and crossing the limits of acceptable conduct.
ia/xf
