Chinese nationals welcome in PH for as long as they follow laws, pay taxes
Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio (left) and Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra
MANILA, Philippines–Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio and Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra share the same view that Chinese nationals in the country are welcome for as long as they follow the laws and pay the proper taxes.
“We have our labor laws. They can come here provided they have a visa or if they want to work, they must pay their taxes. As long as our rules are followed, I don’t see anything wrong…We have to see to it that our rules are followed,” Carpio told reporters on the sidelines of the Legal Education Summit at the Manila Hotel.
Earlier, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon raised the alarm on the influx of undocumented Chinese nationals saying they constitute a possible security threat to the country as government does not know their intention or activities.
For his part Guevarra said Chinese nationals are welcome to work in the Philippines for as long as they comply with all the legal requirements.
“We surely welcome them us tourists. If they wish to work here, they should comply with all legal requirements such as securing alien employment certificate or AEC and work visas, and they should income taxes.”
“For as long as Chinese nationals are coming to our country with proper documentation and appropriate visas, there should be no problem…Otherwise, they shall be ask to pack and leave, without prejudice to any civil or criminal liability,” he added.
The DOJ chief said there is only cause for alarm if they are getting employed in industries where more than enough Filipino workers are available and if they have intentions that pose threat to national security.
“In all cases, the proper government approach is a more stringent enforcement of our immigration, labor, and security regulations,” he further said.
The Chinese Embassy in Manila earlier said Beijing respects the laws and regulations of the Philippines regarding employment of foreign nationals and acknowledged that its nationals “should not stay or work illegally in foreign countries including the Philippines.”
At the same time, the Chinese Embassy requested that Philippine law enforcement agencies deal with relevant issues “in accordance with the laws and regulations in a professional manner.” /muf
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