MANILA, Philippines – NIRESBAKAN ng Chinese Embassy in the Philippines si Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. kaugnay sa pag-aresto sa 69 Chinese workers sa steel plant sa Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental nito lamang buwan ng Mayo.
“Secretary Teodoro’s remarks are completely unfounded. They distort the facts and turn black into white,” ang sinabi ng embahada sa isang kalatas.
Matatandaang, ni-raid ng mga awtoridad ang isang steel manufacturing plant sa Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental kung saan natagpuan ang 69 na Chinese nationals at 1 Pilipino na umano’y humahawak ng mga posibleng delikado o noxious na materyales.
Sumailalim sa inquest proceedings ang mga manggagawa, habang ang limang incorporators ng kumpanyang Phil. Sanjia-Steel Corp. ay nananatiling at-large.
Pinangunahan nina Teodoro at PAOCC Executive Director Ret. Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr. ang inspeksyon sa pasilidad na nasa loob ng PHIVIDEC Industrial Estate, isang semi-autonomous GOCC na nasa ilalim ng Department of National Defense.
Ayon kay Teodoro, ang planta ay pag-aari umano ng Chinese businessman na si Tony Yang o Yang Jian Xin, na dati nang umaming hindi siya lehitimong Pilipino.
Para sa embahada, kinuwestiyon nito ang papel ng AFP sa raid operation. Kinuwestiyon din nito ang pag-aresto sa mga Chinese workers sa halip na ang mga tao sa likod ng planta.
“First, in May this year, Teodoro instructed AFP to join the raid into the Sanjia Steel Corporation and arrest unarmed Chinese workers. Is Teodoro a national defense chief or a police chief? Why did he have a hand in the law enforcement operation? What is he up to? Is that part of his portfolio?” ang sinabi nito.
“Second, if the plant violated environmental or other laws, why were the workers arrested instead of the people in charge? Why were only the Chinese workers arrested, while all the Filipino workers were released on the spot? Why were the Chinese workers even transported to Manila for detention by a military aircraft?” aniya pa rin.
Sa kanyang pinakabagong pahayag, sinabi pa ng Kalihim na aktibong nakialam ang Chinese Embassy officials sa proseso ng local law enforcement at nagbanta ng paghihiganti laban sa mga pinoy, gaya ng isiniwalat sa Senate hearing.
Subalit hayagan namang pinabulaanan ito ng embahada.
“We fully respect the Philippines’ judicial sovereignty and the lawful handling of cases by its relevant law-enforcement authorities […]However, we firmly oppose any discriminatory or selective law enforcement campaigns targeting Chinese nationals by the Philippine side out of political considerations,” ang tinuran ng embahada.
Sinabi pa ng embahada na tungkulin nitong i-check ang anuman at sinumang nakaditene na Chinese citizens sa ibang bansa.
“Regardless of the reason a Chinese national is detained, the Chinese Embassy has the right and responsibility to conduct consular visits, provide consular protection, make demarches to relevant Philippine law-enforcement authorities to ensure humane, fair and just treatment of detained Chinese nationals,” ang sinabi pa rin ng embahada. KRIS JOSE
