MANILA – The Senate Committee on Labor announced on Friday it will conduct an inquiry next week into the influx of Chinese nationals illegally working in the Philippines.
The arrest of 93 Chinese nationals for their alleged involvement in illegal online gambling on Thursday in Pasig City prompted the investigation, said Sen. Joel Villanueva, committee chairman.
“The review of our laws, the enforcement system and the coordination of agencies involved when it comes to regulating the influx of foreign workers in our country have become very urgent,” Villanueva said in a statement.
“It appears that despite our earlier calls on the concerned agencies, reports on the increasing presence of illegal Chinese workers, especially in Metro Manila, have not been addressed,” he added.
According to the senator, the recent raid in Pasig City showed how bad the problem on illegal online gambling has become.
“It is equally important also for our government to be vigilant in keeping our country free from the scourge of illegal online gambling,” he said.
“It is incumbent upon our government to exert every effort possible to prevent this activity from proliferating in our shores,” he added. This issue, “along with other current problems affecting our workers, will be the subject of our inquiry next week.”
Moreover, there is a dire need to strengthen legislation and enforcement to stop illegal online gambling and the proliferation of illegal Chinese workers who “shamelessly robbed our own people of jobs,” Villanueva noted.
“Our country’s labor laws and immigration rules must be clear and strictly enforced,” said the senator./PN
