Palace clarifies gov't will enforce immigration laws vs illegal Chinese workers

MANILA, Philippines — The government would enforce immigration laws against illegal Chinese workers, Malacañang clarified Monday, after President Rodrigo Duterte drew flak for saying that workers from China should just be allowed to remain in the country. 

"We wish to clarify that the president's policy on Chinese workers who are illegally staying in the country remains the same, which is the enforcement of immigration laws against violators," presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said in a statement. 

"Our laws will be applied with full force and effect equally to all foreign nationals who violate them," he added. 

READ: Duterte on deporting Chinese workers: Let them work here

Panelo said Chinese workers who have work permits and are compliant with immigration rules would be accorded the protection they are entitled to. He noted that Chinese Ambassador Zhao Jianhua told Duterte recently that Philippine laws should be enforced against foreign citizens, including Chinese nationals, who violated them.

"The plight of our overseas Filipino workers remains foremost in the President's mind. Any problem however that may arise involving the entry and/or stay of Chinese citizens in blatant violation of our immigration laws will be dealt with strictly in accordance with law and with dispatch," Panelo said. 

READ: 74% of foreigners arrested in 2018 from China — Immigration

But Panelo stressed that enforcement of the immigration laws does not mean that the government would act recklessly on perceived violations of Chinese citizens.

"To do so would be a dangerous policy as we have, as the president stressed in his campaign rally speech, thousands of Filipinos in China and its government might enforce a policy of tit for tat to the detriment of our countrymen in China," Panelo said. 

"The government will tread cautiously and in accordance with the Constitution in dealing with any matter involving Chinese migrants perceived or alleged to be staying illegally, given the situation of thousands of Filipinos staying in China not in accordance with its laws," he added. 

The Labor department has granted almost 52,000 alien employment permits to Chinese workers. Officials revealed in a recent Senate inquiry that more than 119,000 tourists, most of them Chinese, were able to skirt Philippine labor regulations. 

Last Saturday, Duterte said Chinese workers should be allowed to remain in the country because there are about 300,000 Filipino workers in China. Critics have assailed the president for his supposed failure to address the issue, saying he is allowing Chinese workers to take away jobs from Filipinos. 

READ: Panelo to Robredo on ‘special treatment’ to Chinese: Stop giving statements that ‘inflame’ issues