MANILA, Philippines — The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (Paocc) on Thursday defended its operations of the Sanjia Steel Corp. in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental, which led to the arrest of Chinese citizens.
Paocc hit the Chinese Embassy’s remarks that only the Chinese workers were arrested, while 300 Filipinos were released on the spot, and asked if “nationality being used as the basis for distinguishing between people and determining guilt.”
“The remarks made by the Chinese Embassy reflect a clear disregard for diplomatic decorum and the sovereign laws of the Philippines. As diplomatic representatives hosted by our nation, lecturing host authorities on lawful domestic operations is inappropriate. We challenge the Embassy to allow the same open public dialogue on Chinese social media platforms so that the Chinese people can be informed of the full, transparent facts,” the commission said in a Facebook statement on Thursday.
“The Sanjia Steel operation was an inter-agency law-enforcement operation, not an action against any nationality. The agencies involved acted according to their respective mandates, while the Armed Forces of the Philippines provided security and logistical support. Its participation should not be misconstrued as a military operation against Chinese workers,” they added.
On May 15, 2026, close to 70 Chinese workers were arrested in a joint operation with the Paocc and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
