PHL not harassing Chinese — PCO

THE PRESIDENTIAL Palace on Wednesday assured China that the government is not harassing Chinese nationals amid the state’s crackdown on Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) after Beijing’s embassy in Manila warned Chinese citizens of “unstable public security” in the country.

“We can assure China that we are not targeting any particular nationality or individual for harassment,” Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary Clarissa A. Castro told a Palace briefing.

“Let us remember that everyone is welcome here, except, of course, those who are committing crimes. We will enforce the law accordingly.”

Based on the advisory posted on its website, the embassy said Chinese citizens and businesses experience being frequently interrogated and harassed by Philippine authorities.

“Public security in the Philippines has been unstable, with frequent incidents of law enforcement authorities harassing and inspecting Chinese citizens and enterprises,” it said in the advisory, which was published in Chinese.

The Philippine immigration bureau has said it has arrested over 500 foreign nationals since January who were linked to illegal POGO activities in various operations across Parañaque, Pasay, and Cavite.

Last year, President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. signed an executive order, banning POGOs due to their links to organized crime, such as human trafficking. This is in line with his policy directives during his third State of the Nation Address to shut down POGOs by the end of 2024. — John Victor D. Ordoñez