Philippine Defense Secretary accuses Chinese Embassy of shielding illegal nationals

Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. has accused the Chinese Embassy in Manila of acting as a ‘PR firm’ to shield Chinese nationals involved in illegal activities within the Philippines. Teodoro specifically alleged that the embassy is attempting to cover up for businessman Tony Yang and others, describing the embassy's recent public statements as an unprecedented act of foreign interference in local law enforcement.

The Chinese Embassy rejected these claims, with spokesperson Ji Lingpeng calling the accusations ‘simply absurd.’ The embassy maintained that any individual violating Philippine law should face prosecution regardless of nationality. Ji noted that China has cooperated with Philippine authorities to repatriate over 2,500 suspects in recent years, including those involved in fraud, kidnapping, and murder.

The dispute follows a May raid on Sanjia Steel Corp. in Misamis Oriental, which resulted in the detention of dozens of Chinese workers. While the embassy questioned the operation and raised concerns regarding detention conditions, Philippine officials defended the raid and accused the involved nationals of engaging in illegal acts.