PH-China cooperation seen in offshore gaming drive

Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said the Philippines and China could work together to go after Chinese nationals illegally working in the offshore gaming operations in the country, which had been a concern as they were said to be taking away jobs from Filipinos.

Locsin was asked about the influx of undocumented Chinese workers at his confirmation hearing at the Commission on Appointments (CA) on Wednesday.

The issue was not souring relations between Manila and Beijing, he said.

“Far from endangering or in any way affecting our relations with China, apparently we’re going to be doing two things. One is online gambling is illegal. We’re going to stamp it out with the help and not against the objection of China because they, too, want to end it,” he said.

Online gambling is illegal in China, he noted.

Locsin said this was one of the areas where law enforcement agencies of the two countries would be able to coordinate “without looking as if we have surrendered our sovereignty.”

Grilling by Gatchalian

He noted that in the past, the US Drug Enforcement Agency had operated in the Philippines “like a sovereign entity,” but Filipinos did not think much of it.

But if the Chinese equivalent were to do it, “there will be a howl from the public,” he added.

Locsin made the statements in response to the questions of Valenzuela Rep. Wes Gatchalian.

But the line of inquiry was cut short when Senate President Vicente Sotto III said that in the CA, the tradition was to swiftly confirm nominees who used to be members of Congress.