In February this year, a 14-year-old Chinese student in the British School Manila was kidnapped and his Filipino driver killed. A video sent to the boy’s parents showed his little finger being cut off. He was abandoned days later in Parañaque, with speculative reports pointing to the payment of ransom.
This case can be a basis for the July 18 warning of China’s Ministry of Education to its students to “carefully assess security risks” and “strengthen safety awareness” if they are planning to study in the Philippines.
The warning, however, must mention that of the 22 suspects tagged by police in the gruesome crime, four of the ringleaders are Chinese citizens.
Chinese nationals were also named as the principal suspects in the March 29 kidnapping of Chinese-Filipino steel tycoon Anson Que and his driver Armanie Pabillo, who were found dead in Rodriguez, Rizal on April 9.
The Chinese advisory warned that the “security situation in the Philippines has been unstable recently, with a surge in crimes targeting Chinese nationals.”
“Incidents involving local law enforcement harassing and inspecting Chinese nationals and enterprises have occurred frequently,” the advisory added.
In protest, the Department of Foreign Affairs has said that the advisory contains “inaccuracies” and “mischaracterizes the situation in the Philippines.” The DFA called on Chinese authorities “to undertake the necessary corrections.”
Reacting to the Chinese warning, Malacañang said Beijing has the right to issue advisories to its citizens. But the DFA said “all instances of crimes, including those involving Chinese and other foreign nationals as well as those perpetrated by foreign nationals against their own, are being addressed” by Philippine law enforcement agencies.
Chinese students were put in the spotlight earlier this year amid suspicions that they were being sent to spy on the Philippines by enrolling in schools in Cagayan, which will be hosting one of the facilities for the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement between the Philippines and the United States.
The Bureau of Immigration later clarified that there were only 400 Chinese students, not 4,600 studying in a private university in Tuguegarao, Cagayan. The 400 were part of 1,516 who were issued student visas, but the rest opted for distance learning, the BI said. There has been no report of any of the students being harmed.
While protesting inaccurate assessments of the security situation, the government must also continue working with Beijing to track down members of Chinese criminal gangs, most of whom gained a foothold in the country through Philippine offshore gaming operations.
All fugitives regardless of nationality must be hunted down. And authorities must ensure that the Philippines is relatively safe for locals and foreign visitors alike.