‘Probe presence of Chinese nationals near EDCA sites’

LAWMAKERS on Wednesday urged key government agencies to launch a comprehensive investigation into the notable rise in the number of Chinese near Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) sites.

They also called on all Filipinos to unite in support of the administration’s unwavering stance against ongoing Chinese aggression in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers said the Bureau of Immigration, the Department of Foreign Affairs, and the military and police intelligence community to must scrutinize the influx of Chinese.

He said these agencies bear the responsibility for monitoring and regulating foreign arrivals in the country.

He urged a closer examination of visa approval processes by the DFA officials in China, adding that it is important for the government to track the movements of Chinese nationals entering and leaving the country.

According to the Mindanaoan solon, all concerned agencies, particularly the BI and the DFA, are aware that there exists a “Chinese mafia” that is engaged in the procurement and processing of fake documents, and they include fake birth certificates coming from the Philippine Statistics Authority, fake passports emanating from the DFA, drivers licenses issued by the Land Transportation Authority, and fake gun licenses coming from the PNP Firearms and Explosives Office, among others.

“The question is: What have these government agencies done to counter the tampering of their respective offices’ documents? They are all eerily quiet on this issue. Are some of the officials of said agencies in cahoots or enables of the Chinese mafia?” Barbers asked.

Barbers noted the prevalence of fraudulent documents, pointing to a concerning trend of fake Filipino identities being utilized to acquire properties and establish businesses near strategic locations, including EDCA sites and transportation hubs.

Drawing attention to the growing number of warehouses and business establishments operated by Chinese nationals, particularly in Central Luzon and Cagayan, Barbers said this has potential implications for national security and urged vigilance from concerned agencies.

Meanwhile, Camarines Sur Rep. Lray Villafuerte called on all Filipinos to stand behind President Marcos’ firm stance against “relentless Chinese aggression” in the WPS.

Villafuerte said it is obligation of all Filipinos to support the government’s efforts to assert sovereignty and jurisdiction over the Philippine exclusive economic zone (EEZ) as defined by international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) ruling.

“Our territorial integrity is at stake, and it thus behoves all of us Filipinos to support the government’s appropriate policy of defending our borders in accordance with international law and as upheld by the 2016 PCA Arbitral Ruling,” he said.

Highlighting the recent diplomatic achievements in forging defense and security alliances with the United States and Japan, Villafuerte urged the Marcos administration to capitalize on these partnerships by advocating for the swift approval of proposed military modernization initiatives, including significant funding allocations for the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine Coast Guard.

The Bicolano legislator was referring to the measure seeking to authorize $500 million a year in Foreign Military Financing (FMF) grant assistance to the Philippines between 2025 and 2029—a total of $2.5 billion over the five-year period.

Villafuerte said that, as the President himself stressed following his April 12 meeting with US defense officials at the Pentagon in Washington, the Philippines “cannot afford to be complacent” despite the intensified defense and security relations with our allies, as“the intensity, and the potential disastrous consequences of the security threats facing us today necessitate that we work harder and continuously improve.”