MANILA, Philippines — Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Thursday hit back yet again at the Chinese Embassy this time accusing it of acting as a public relations firm for businessman Yang Jianxin, more commonly known as Tony Yang or Antonio Maestrado Lim as well as other illegal activities in the country.
“The Chinese Embassy is now a PR firm for Tony Yang and other illegal activities in this Country which are apparently their clients. From their public statements in the past days it is obvious that they are covering up for these people. The public is aware of their role which is now obvious,” Teodoro said in a statement.
Yang, the brother of former presidential economic adviser Michael Yang, has been linked by authorities to a raided manufacturing plant in Misamis Oriental accused of producing substandard steel.
Last May, joint forces led by the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission, National Bureau of Investigation, Philippine National Police and Armed Forces of the Philippines raided the Philippine Philippine Sanjia Steel Corp. in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental for allegedly manufacturing and distributing substandard steel resulting in the arrest of 69 Chinese nationals and one Filipino.
“Kailangan kundenahin ito ng ating mga mamamayan. Sa lahat ng Embahada kailanman dito sa Pilipinas nagayon lang tayo nakakakita ng ganitong klaseng pagmamalabis. Kailangan nating ipakita na hindi tayo papayag dito!” Teodoro said.
“Mabuhay ang Pilipinas. ‘Di tayo pasisiil!” he added.
PAOCC Executive Director Benjamin Acorda Jr. also condemned the Chinese Embassy’s remarks as a “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,” Acorda said.
He stressed that the operation against Sanjia Steel was an inter-agency law enforcement operation and was not directed against any race and that treatment of individuals involved were based on their circumstances and compliance with Philippine immigration and labor laws, not their nationality.
