Malacañang assured the people yesterday that the government is strictly enforcing the laws on foreign workers as majority of Filipinos continue to worry about the increasing number of Chinese nationals in the Philippines.
Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo made the statement after the third quarter 2019 Social Weather Stations survey showed that majority or 70 percent of Filipinos expressed concern about the rising number of Chinese nationals in the country.
Panelo assured Filipinos that Chinese workers are not given special treatment and that laws are equally applied to them.
“The Filipino people are assured that this administration is strict in enforcing the law, especially those pertaining to our immigration and labor policies. The President, as always, will prioritize the interests of the Filipino people and our local labor force,” he said.
Panelo, however, lamented how the questions were slanted to get the results.
“The Palace is not surprised by the survey result… It is a matter of research methodology,” he said referring to the question: “Gaano po kayo nababahala sa pagdami ng dayuhang Intsik na nagtratrabaho sa Pilipinas?’”
“Necessarily, the response is logical and expected because the question already assumes that there exists a cause of worry,” he added.
Panelo said those who are opposed to President Duterte’s pivot to China would put political color and highlight the result of this survey question for political propaganda purposes.
“Contrary to the result of this survey, the Chinese has seamlessly assimilated in the Filipino way of life for centuries, and we attribute this to the hospitable and inclusive nature of our people,” he said. (Argyll Geducos)
