Steel plant raided for ‘hazardous’ materials; 69 Chinese questioned

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines — Joint government teams raided the Philippine Sanjia Steel Corp. in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental for the alleged presence of hazardous materials in the facility on Friday.

The operation, which saw Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. and Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) executive director Benjamin Acorda Jr. on site, led to the investigation of 69 Chinese workers and one Filipino employee for handling the hazardous materials.

The steel plant is owned by Tony Yang, the brother of former economic adviser Michael Yang. Tony was previously linked to Philippine offshore gaming operator activities.

Initial reports said local police were barred from entering the premises in Barangay Baluarte during the joint operation of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Philippine Army and PAOCC due to a possible risk of contamination.

Teodoro ordered the comprehensive medical examinations for all the workers and those who participated in the raid, as he recognized possible health risks posed by exposure to hazardous substances.

He warned people against interfering with the ongoing investigation, saying “any attempt to obstruct lawful operations or impede the case would be dealt with accordingly.”

Investigators have yet to release an official statement regarding the exact type of chemicals found in the plant.

Medical assistance teams from the Tagoloan municipal health office and the disaster risk reduction and management office were deployed to assess the condition of employees.

Authorities said the NBI is probing whether laws were violated and is determining the real situation inside the steel plant and the Philippine Veterans Investment Dev. Corp. Industrial Authority, where the facility is located.