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Michael Punongbayan - The Philippine Star
August 21, 2026 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — The Chinese embassy is doing public relations work for controversial Chinese businessman Tony Yang and others involved in illegal activities in the country, Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. said yesterday.
He made the accusation amid a raging word war between embassy officials and Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesman Jay Tarriela who has been denouncing China’s aggression in the West Philippine Sea.
“The Chinese embassy is now a PR firm for Tony Yang and other illegal activities in this country which are apparently their clients,” Teodoro said as he urged Filipinos to condemn China’s abusive behavior.
Yang also reportedly has links to Philippine offshore gaming operation.
“From their public statements in the past days it is obvious that they are covering up for these people. The public is aware of their role which is now obvious,” he added.
With his strong condemnation of Beijing, Teodoro and his family have been banned from entering China and its territories.
Last May, the defense chief joined a raid on Yang-owned Sanjia Steel Corp. in Misamis Oriental where some 70 Chinese nationals were arrested.
Recently, China’s foreign ministry announced the arrest of more than a hundred Filipinos for alleged immigration law violations, in what appeared to be in retaliation for the raid on Yang’s steel manufacturing plant. The plant was allegedly making substandard products and mishandling hazardous materials.
The raid on the steel plant sparked a word war between Teodoro and the Chinese embassy, with the latter even demanding an explanation as to why the military was involved in enforcement operations.
“This should be condemned by the people. It’s the first time we’ve seen an embassy this abusive. We have to show them we won’t tolerate it,” he said.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines, for its part, has accused the Chinese embassy of spreading false narratives, noting that the military joined the Sanjia raid as a support unit for the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Presidential Anti Organized Crime Commission.
The PAOCC, in a statement, said the Chinese government should allow its citizens full access to social media platforms so that they can learn the truth about the raid on Sanjia Steel Corp.
“We challenge the Embassy to allow the same open public dialogue on Chinese social media platforms so that the Chinese people can be informed of the full, transparent facts,” the PAOCC said.
The PAOCC said the embassy disregarded diplomatic decorum and sovereign laws after it lectured the Philippine government on lawful domestic operations.
“The distinction in the treatment of individuals was based on the circumstances and legal issues applicable to each person specifically regarding compliance with Philippine immigration and labor laws not on nationality,” the PAOCC said.
It pointed out that no person, Filipino or foreigners, is presumed guilty simply because of citizenship.
The PAOCC added the investigation on the steel firm is not confined to the workers, stressing that establishing charges as well as detention or release of detainees are subject to legal processes.
“If evidence establishes liability on the part of owners, officers, managers, or other responsible persons, the appropriate agencies will pursue them in accordance with the law,” it said. – Emmanuel Tupas
