Philippines steps up probe into alleged Chinese sleeper cells as Beijing slams ‘malicious’ claims
- Philippine police say ‘Chinese and Taiwanese’ people are involved in Pogo operations, adding they have arrested some individuals
- Beijing slams the claims as sowing Sinophobic sentiments after two Chinese nationals were arrested over illegal possession of high-powered firearms
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.
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.”