Golez seeks probe on growing number of mainland Chinese

Concerned about possible spooks from China, a congressman has filed a resolution calling on the House of Representatives to conduct an investigation on the number of Chinese nationals in the country which he described as "abnormally large."

Rep. Roilo Golez (LAMP, Parañaque), in House Resolution 1475, asked the committees on national defense and justice to lead the probe.

Golez cited figures from the Bureau of Immigration (BI) yesterday that showed that nearly 50 percent of 326,580 registered aliens in the country are from China.

As of last January 21, according to a BI report, there are 136,632 Chinese, 68,779 Americans, 23,486 Indians, 18,294 Japanese and 16,871 South Koreans in the country.

"The huge number of registered mainland Chinese appears very abnormal considering that there are only a few official and commercial Chinese entities present in the Philippines compared to US, Japanese and Koreans," Golez said.

He also said that "at the very least" there are 27,000 illegal Chinese nationals in the country.

Earlier, Golez called on the Philippine Navy and Air Force to be on the lookout for Chinese "spies."

Golez, chairman of the House committee on public order and security, said authorities should exercise greater vigilance in monitoring the entry and activities of Chinese nationals in the country following allegations that China has deployed spy ships in the disputed Scarborough Shoal and in the Spratly islands in the South China Sea.

The Chinese vessels were reportedly monitoring Philippine military movements there.

In his resolution, Golez cited a recent unclassified intelligence report in the US House of Representatives claiming that Beijing "has stepped up its worldwide political and military efforts."

According to Golez, the report said that "Chinese intelligence collection goals include gathering of information about key players and developments in countries that might affect China's political and economic interests."

It also revealed that the Chinese intelligence has a long history of using Chinese students to collect information to advance their military technology and capability.

The BID record showed there are over 1,000 Chinese students in the country.

Golez said China might use such a modus operandi in the Philippines because of Manila's occasional diplomatic rows with Beijing over the Spratlys and Scarborough Shoal.

Aside from spies, Golez also expressed concern over Chinese organized crime.

He cited an Internet report, released last March 3 by the US State Department's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, which noted that the Philippines has experienced an increase in organized crime activities originating from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

This boosts local intelligence reports pinpointing China as the primary source of shabu in the Philippines. Many foreign drug traffickers who have been arrested are Chinese.

Golez's resolution also noticed a proliferation of Chinese traders in Manila. Local retailers have complained of losing business opportunities which prompted the BID and the Philippine National Police's Western Police District to launch a crackdown.

"The entry and proliferation of illegal aliens, drugs, triads, naval forces, and possibly spies from mainland China, taken as a whole, may constitute a serious threat to national security," Golez said.