Marilyn Cahatol

Article (news)

Bianca Dava

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17866048883131786604884868.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Philippines&#x27; Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro Jr delivers a speech as he attends the sixth plenary session of the 23rd Shangri-La Dialogue summit in Singapore on May 31, 2026. <em>Jam Sta. Rosa, AFP </em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA (UPDATED) — Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Thursday called China’s reported immigration action against more than 100 Filipinos “plain and simple extortion and blackmail.”</p><p>“We strongly condemn both the attempt by China to interfere in our law enforcement processes and the blatant blackmail against Filipinos,” Teodoro said in a statement.</p><p>China’s Foreign Ministry on Monday said the Filipinos were subjected to an immigration operation over alleged illegal employment and overstaying.</p><p>“China’s national immigration authorities have made consistent effort to strengthen supervision of foreigners illegally entering, living or working in China and carried out special operations in accordance with the law. Actions have been taken in accordance with the law against over 100 Philippine nationals for illegally working or living in China,” China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said in a press briefing in Beijing.</p><p>Asked whether the action could be seen as Beijing’s response to Manila’s “frequent detention” of Chinese nationals, Guo did not directly link the operation to Teodoro or to the Philippine government’s actions against Chinese nationals.</p><p>But a Manila-based Chinese-language newspaper reported that the action against the Filipinos—including possibly those in Hong Kong and Macau—was a countermeasure against Teodoro, following Philippine law enforcement operations involving Chinese nationals.</p><p>The report traced the dispute to the May 2026 operation at the <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/regions/2026/5/26/raided-steel-plant-rejects-national-security-concerns-says-chinese-workers-legally-employed-1640">Philippine Sanjia Steel Corporation </a>in Misamis Oriental, where 69 Chinese workers were found handling harmful or noxious materials.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/regions/2026/5/26/raided-steel-plant-rejects-national-security-concerns-says-chinese-workers-legally-employed-1640">Raided steel plant rejects national security concerns, says Chinese workers legally employed</a></div><p>Teodoro said the operation was conducted based on search warrants issued by Philippine courts, and accused Chinese authorities of focusing on the workers’ passports and visas while refusing to address the alleged illegal activities that led to their arrest.</p><p>“This is an admission by them that indeed the acts of these individuals were illegal under Philippine law,” he stressed.</p><p>Teodoro also rejected any comparison between the Filipinos subjected to immigration action in China and Chinese nationals arrested in the Philippines.</p><p>“Filipinos in China have neither the intent nor the capacity to commit violations of Chinese law much less in the scale perpetuated by Chinese nationals here,” the defense chief said.</p><p>Teodoro accused the Chinese government of “actively covering up” for the Chinese nationals, saying this is evidence of their “complicity in the nefarious acts” committed by them.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/8/11/china-yet-to-compensate-philippines-over-2024-ayungin-incident-afp-1503">China yet to compensate Philippines over 2024 Ayungin incident – AFP</a></div><p>“If these Chinese nationals were not involved in defrauding the Filipino people which is now amplified by the cover up done by Chinese authorities, then they will be treated in the same way as other law-abiding foreigners residing in the Philippines,” he added.</p><p>This development also comes after Beijing imposed <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/12/defense-chief-teodoro-says-to-keep-doing-my-duty-after-china-sanctions-0813">sanctions on Teodoro and his family</a> amid continuing tensions with the Philippine defense chief.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/12/defense-chief-teodoro-says-to-keep-doing-my-duty-after-china-sanctions-0813">Defense chief Teodoro says to &#x27;keep doing my duty&#x27; after China sanctions</a><br/><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/29/-no-rift-between-ph-china-despite-beijing-s-sanctions-rhetoric-vs-teodoro-palace-1533">&#x27;No rift&#x27; between PH, China despite Beijing&#x27;s sanctions, rhetoric vs Teodoro: Palace</a></div><p>The measures bar Teodoro and his immediate family from entering mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau, and restrict transactions involving them.</p><p>The secretary previously <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/3/teodoro-shrugs-off-reported-china-entry-ban-says-he-has-no-assets-there-1740">shrugged off the sanctions.</a></p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/24/china-again-uses-water-cannon-on-ph-vessels-1142">China again uses water cannon on PH vessels</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/u00vk_jK-00?si=VrdLvq2JjJaARmPZ" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>

<p>Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Thursday called China’s reported immigration action against more than 100 Filipinos “plain and simple extortion and blackmail.”</p>

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Thursday called China’s reported immigration action against more than 100 Filipinos “plain and simple extortion and blackmail.”

Teodoro calls China immigration operation vs 100 Filipinos ‘extortion and blackmail’

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Teodoro calls China immigration operation vs 100 Filipinos ‘extortion and blackmail’

Bianca Dava,

ABS-CBN News

Published August 13, 2026 03:15 PM PHT

|

Updated August 13, 2026 04:08 PM PHT

Read More:

Filipinos

China

immigration action

extortion

blackmail

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr.

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