Philippines steps up probe into alleged Chinese sleeper cells as Beijing slams 'malicious' claims
The Philippines has expressed alarm over the alleged presence of China-backed clandestine forces in the country and stepped up multi-law enforcement efforts to take down such groups, drawing a sharp rebuke from Beijing that called the claims "malicious".
National police chief Benjamin Acorda Jnr said his department and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) had made progress on the matter and arrested "some individuals".
"This is alarming. We are looking into it, and of course, it is not remote," Acorda said.
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Senior police officer Jose Melencio Corpus Nartatez Jnr, however, said the existence of the sleeper cells supposedly run by foreigners was not yet proven.
"We are looking at all possible angles, but it boils down, of course, to the personalities involved. The common denominator is that they are all foreign nationals - Chinese and Taiwanese involved in Pogo operations," he said, referring to the crime-tainted offshore gambling industry.
The Chinese embassy in Manila last week dismissed that assertion, saying it was aimed at "inciting racial hatred and sowing Sinophobic sentiments".
"For the Chinese embassy, this was only an isolated case, but persons with ulterior motives took advantage of the situation and made baseless claims against China and Chinese people," it said. "We strongly oppose and condemn such baseless allegations and malicious spreading of disinformation."
The mission's response came after two Chinese nationals were arrested last month for illegal possession of high-powered firearms during a raid on their house in eastern Manila, the Philippine Daily Inquirer reported.
Reports said the suspects were linked to a "destabilisation plot" but a senior NBI official rejected that theory.
The embassy also said Beijing had "always adhered to the principle of non-interference" in the internal affairs of other countries.
It added Chinese officials would work with the Philippine law enforcement authorities to investigate the case to jointly combat transnational criminal activities.
At their peak, Pogos employed more than 300,000 Chinese workers, but the pandemic, higher taxes and enforcement blitz have forced many to operate elsewhere.
Beijing has repeatedly warned Chinese nationals not to work in Pogos in the Philippines, which have brought a spate of crime, including cryptocurrency scams, kidnappings and murder.
According to police data, more than 4,000 Pogo-related crimes, including kidnapping and human trafficking, were reported in the first half of the year.
This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (SCMP).
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