DEFENSE Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. has launched a sharp rebuke against the Chinese Embassy in Manila, accusing the diplomatic mission of acting as a “PR firm” to cover up illegal activities by Chinese nationals in the country.
The embassy swiftly countered the claims, labeling them as “simply absurd.”
“The Chinese Embassy is now a PR firm for Tony Yang and other illegal activities in this country which are apparently their clients,” Teodoro said in a statement on Thursday.
The former lawmaker argued that the embassy’s recent public statements actively defend individuals currently under investigation for violating Philippine laws, calling the foreign mission’s actions an unprecedented abuse that Filipinos should condemn.
The heated exchange stems from a May law enforcement raid on Philippine Sanjia-Steel Corp. in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental.
The operation resulted in the arrest of 69 Chinese nationals accused of participating in unlawful operations, including manufacturing substandard steel and discharging toxic, untreated wastewater.
The Chinese Embassy openly criticized the raid, questioning why workers were detained instead of the factory operators and raising concerns over the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ involvement.
Chinese Embassy spokesperson Ji Lingpeng defended the embassy’s intervention as part of its mandatory consular duties to protect its citizens.
Ji claimed the detained workers faced “unfair and inhumane treatment,” alleging that 70 workers were crammed into 5-square-meter cells without proper conditions to sleep.
“Can anyone honestly claim that this constitutes a legitimate national security concern or a normal law enforcement operation?” Ji asked.
Dismissing Teodoro’s accusations, Ji emphasized that Beijing remains committed to law enforcement cooperation with Manila.
The Embassy’s point person noted that joint efforts have led to the repatriation of over 2,500 crime suspects in recent years, including more than 60 individuals in 2026 linked to illegal offshore gaming (POGO) operations, fraud, kidnapping, and murder.
Despite the embassy’s pushback, Teodoro maintained that the diplomatic office is shielding lawbreakers, marking another escalation in tensions between Manila and Beijing over local law enforcement and national security operations.
