MANILA, Philippines — Senator Nancy Binay protested China’s warning on Thursday as she backed the government’s moves against illegal Chinese workers in the Philippines.
Binay insisted that foreign nationals working in other countries without proper documents, be it in Beijing or Manila, must be deported.
“Kung illegal sila dapat talaga silang i-deport. (It) works both ways. Kung mayroon tayong kababayan na illegal din sa China, dapat din nilang i-deport yung mga yun,” she said at Senate forum on Thursday.
(If they are working illegally they must be deported. It works both ways. If Filipinos are working illegally in China, they should also be deported.)
“Unang-una, bakit tayo kailangang takutin? Mali na yung nandito sila na nang-aagaw ng trabaho na para sa Pilipino tapos sila pa yung mananakot sa atin? At bakit din naman tayo magpapatakot sa kanila?” said the senator.
(First of all, why do they need to threaten us. It’s wrong that they are here and taking away jobs from Filipinos. Then, they will threaten us? And why would we allow them to do that?)
China has earlier cautioned the Philippines against deporting Chinese workers, saying it would do the same to Filipino workers in Beijing.
“That is what the Chinese ambassador told me during dinner, that if this government will just deport Chinese not in accordance with law, then we will also do the same. That’s tit for tat,” presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said Tuesday.
READ: Palace: China warns of tit for tat if illegal workers deported
President Rodrigo Duterte’s earlier statement on allowing Chinese workers in Manila did not sit well with the senator.
“Di ba dapat unahin antin yung interes nating Pilipino? Bakit natin uunahin yung interest ng ibang bansa?” Binay asked.
(We should prioritize the interests of Filipinos. Why are we going to prioritize the interest of other countries?)
“Ang laki na nga ng unemployment rate natin tapos may mang-aagaw pang mga banyaga (We have a huge unemployment rate, then we allow foreign nationals to take away jobs). We should always have that policy na Filipino First,” she stressed.
Duterte earlier warned that China might retaliate if its nationals are deported in the Philippines.
“The Chinese here, just let them work here. Just let them. Why? We have 300,000 Filipinos in China,” the President said over the weekend. /ee
READ: Duterte: Allow illegal Chinese to work here