Embassy hit over fake news on Misamis steel firm raid

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August 19, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — Backing Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr., the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has criticized the Chinese embassy for allegedly distorting facts about the raid on a steel firm in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental.

The AFP said the operation at the Sanjia Steel Corp. where some 70 Chinese nationals were arrested in May was legitimate, with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) leading the raid.

Retired Navy admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, AFP spokesman for the West Philippine Sea, advised Filipinos to be wary of false narratives that are being spread about the Tagoloan raid.

“We Filipinos understand what a foreign malign influence is, and we know who speaks the truth,” Trinidad said.

He said the NBI and the PAOCC led the operation while the military provided support to ensure that the raid would be successful.

He said the operation was not a spur-of-the-moment decision, but the result of a long and careful assessment by proper authorities.

“The operation did not target any specific nationality. Any foreigner caught violating the law will be dealt with accordingly. It was carried out to enforce the law of the land,” Trinidad said.