Duterte, envoy to discuss entry of Chinese gangsters

President Duterte is planning to discuss with Chinese Ambassador Zhao Jianhua the entry of Chinese gangsters to the Philippines, although he qualified that the government of China should not be blamed for the problem.

“Now, the Chinese gangsters are coming in, we’re in a fix. I will tell the Chinese ambassador… I will run after these people. They are bringing in tons and tons of illegal drugs,” Duterte said during a dinner he hosted for columnists in Malacañang last Tuesday.

While he clarified that he is not blaming China’s government for the activities of drug syndicates, he pointed out that the Hong Kong-based 4K triad and the Taiwan-based Bamboo group are behind the proliferation of the illegal drugs trade in the country.

“It has nothing to do with China’s government. We only have deep respect for these people,” Duterte said, adding that he already called the attention of the military and the police on the threat posed by the drug rings.

The President initially vowed to put an end to the drug menace during his first six months in office but dropped the goal after learning of the problem’s magnitude. He claimed that the country has become a “narco state” because several local executives and village officials are involved in the trade.

Thousands of suspected drug offenders have died since he assumed office last year, drawing concerns among human rights advocates and the Roman Catholic Church, the religious affiliation of more than 80 percent of Filipinos.