Malacañang said yesterday that Chinese Ambassador Zhao Jianhua was just expressing an opinion when he said that China can also suspect that overseas Filipino workers in China are actually spies.
Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said that Zhao was only expressing an opinion about Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana’s concern about the presence of Chinese-manned Philippine Offshore Gaming Operation sites near military camps.
“Opinion lang ni Ambassador Zhao ‘yun. Siguro in response to the statement of the Secretary of National Defense. Kaya nga he was expressing an opinion and Secretary Lorenzana was also expressing an opinion,” he said.
“Hindi naman sa akin directed ‘yun eh. Sabi niya sabihin ko kay Secretary Delfin. Hindi ko pa nasasabi,” he added.
Lorenzana had earlier said that POGO workers could easily shift to spying activities and even suggested that they are moved away from camps to hubs where they can be monitored by finance and immigration authorities.
The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. has proposed to move all POGOs to a hub. However, the Chinese Embassy expressed concern that this can be considered as a violation of the rights of their workers in the Philippines.
Panelo said that they are okay with the idea as long as it will not violate the rights of the Chinese workers.
“Basta it will not infringe or violate the rights of the Chinese workers. Kung makakatulong sa kanilang protection, wala kaming objection doon,” he said.
Meanwhile, Panelo agreed with Lorenzana that the issue on Chinese warships passing through the Sibutu Strait in Tawi-Tawi has become an irritant.
“It’s becoming an irritant if you keep on repeating certain acts that may be viewed to be in violation of the UNCLOS and not as an act of friendship between two countries,” he said.
According to Panelo, the government can “always file a diplomatic protest” and let China respond to it. (Argyll Geducos)