Philippine government denies persecution of Chinese tourists
The government said the country welcomes everyone except those who break the law.
The Philippines.- The Philippine government has denied that foreign nationals are being harassed. Claire Castro, undersecretary of the presidential communications office, made the statement after the Chinese Embassy issued a travel advisory claiming that Philippine authorities were targeting Chinese citizens.
She said: “Let’s remember, everyone here is welcome, except of course when they commit a crime. Let’s implement what the law is.”
She added: “Their travel advisory, it’s just a normal consular function of China. And we can assure China that we are not targeting a particular nationality or particular national to harass.”
She said that law enforcement actions against offshore gaming-related crimes are separate from any broader treatment of Chinese citizens in the country.
She said: “They are probably saying this because of our implementation here on offshore gaming operators, which is now banned here. And most of those involved are Chinese nationals. So, this is probably one of the issues here. But again, the Department of Foreign Affairs is open for discussion regarding this and we will assure China again that we are not targeting any particular national.”
PAOCC says 947 foreign offshore gaming workers still awaiting deportation
Winston Casio, an official from the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), has reported that 947 foreign offshore gaming operator workers are in the agency’s detention facility in Pasay waiting to be deported. Law enforcement operations against an estimated 9,000 illegal offshore gaming workers have been put on hold due to overcrowding.
According to The Philippine Star, Casio said that 29 Indonesians were deported on Saturday (29 March) and more deportations are expected in the coming days. He said the government is considering utilising an additional building in Pasay, which is currently undergoing forfeiture proceedings.
See also: Philippine Bureau of Immigration bans layovers in deportations of offshore gaming workers
