Fire BI, DOLE execs behind entry of illegal Chinese workers – Pangilinan
Police raided in November 2018, a Pasig City-based company allegedly engaged in illegal online gambling with mostly Chinese workers whose employment status is under question. (Photo courtesy of NCRPO)
MANILA, Philippines – The dismissal from service of officials and employees of the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) and the Bureau of Immigration (BI) who allowed the entry of thousands of illegal Chinese workers in the country is being pushed by Senator Francis Pangilinan.
“Fire DOLE and BI appointees and officials who allowed the entry of 400,000 Chinese illegals,” Pangilinan said in a statement on Monday.
“File criminal cases against them. Uphold the rule of law and without fanfare deport these illegals,” he added.
He likewise urged the Duterte administration not to be cowed by China.
President Duterte earlier said he welcomes Chinese nationals working in the country.
READ: Duterte: Let Chinese nationals work in Philippines
“Iyong mga Chinese dito, hayaan mo ‘yan na dito magtrabaho. Hayaan mo. Bakit? We have 300,000 Filipinos in China,” Duterte said during his speech at the campaign rally of Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) in Laguna on Saturday.
(Let the Chinese nationals work here. Why? There are 300,000 Filipinos in China.)
“Kaya hindi ako maka — sabihin, o umalis kayo dito, deport ka doon. Eh kung bigla paalisin ‘yun doon 300 [thousand] of them?” he added.
(What if the 300,000 Filipinos in China are ordered deported?)
For Pangilinan, however, what the government should be afraid of is the “anger” of Filipinos who are still jobless while illegal Chinese workers are accorded “special treatment.”
“The administration should not be afraid of China in the face of hundreds of thousands of their citizens working here illegally,” the senator said.
“What it should fear is the anger of millions of our people who remain jobless while we give special treatment to these Chinese illegals,” he added.
Pangilinan further questioned the government’s supposed silence on drug shipments coming from China and “illegal” claims of China on Philippine territory.
“Mga iligal na droga galing China, wala tayong imik. Mga iligal na pananakop sa ating karagatan, wala tayong imik. Mga iligal na Chinese workers, wala pa rin tayong imik. Tama ba yun? Hindi tayo dapat pumayag na hawak tayo sa leeg ng China at gobyerno,” he said.
(The government is quiet when it comes to illegal drug shipments from China, encroachment of our territories and illegal workers. Is this right? We should not allow ourselves to be controlled by China.)
“Masyado nang nagpapaalipin ang ating gobyerno sa China at dahil dito lalo lang tayong aabusuhin at aalipustahin ng China. Kung nais nating respetuhin tayo bilang isang bansa at respetuhin ang Pilipino sa buong mundo, tapang at hindi takot ang dapat mangibabaw sa pagharap sa mga dayuhan,” he added.
Earlier, the Senate committee on labor, employment and human resources development resumed its probe on the influx of Chinese illegal workers in the country.
READ: Senate resumes probe on influx of Chinese workers to PH
BI, DOLE’s lax policies blamed for influx of illegal foreign workers
The arrest of 93 Chinese nationals in an illegal gambling center in Pasig City prompted the inquiry which was first held last Nov. 26, 2018. / gsg
READ: Tourists from China are ‘illegal workers,’ Senate panel learns
