Malacañang on Sunday expressed concern over the death of a Chinese national who reportedly jumped off a building in Las Piñas City.
The Palace called on the police to resolve the case immediately, Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said in a statement.
“We ask the Philippine National Police, which is seriously looking into the matter, including tracking down the supervisor of the victim who allegedly made the former a prisoner, to treat the case with dispatch,” he said
His statement came after Yang Kang, a 27-year-old information technology employee, supposedly fell from his office building in Pamplona, Las Piñas Friday morning.
The police found that Kang was recruited to work in the country by his fellow Chinese and that he opted to resign after a few weeks, but his employer required him to pay the amount he had lent for his flight.
As shown in a CCTV footage, Kang was handcuffed by his employer.
Kang fell to his death as he tried to escape the room through a window.
His body was discovered by a security guard who was conducting a routine inspection.
In a television interview, Las Piñas City Police chief Col. Simnar Gran said that Kang was initially brought to the Las Piñas District Hospital then transferred to the Asian Hopsital in Alabang, where he died four hours after.
Gran said they have identified Kang’s supervisor, who will face charges for serious illegal detention.
Earlier, the Chinese Embassy alleged that Chinese workers were being subjected to torture and extortion by their employers.
Malacañang urged the Chinese workers to file complaints if they were abused.
“We need to put a stop to these illegal acts. We will not allow nor tolerate any kind of abuse inflicted on any foreigner whether sojourning or working in this country, whether done by their fellow nationals or by our own citizens,” Panelo said.
“No one is exempted from the strict enforcement of our laws of the land,” he added.
Meanwhile, Vice President Leni Robredo has challenge the Duterte administration to do something about the influx of Chinese gamblers in the country.
“For me only.. isn’t it we already stopped gambling. Then why do they have permits and why allow them [here]? she asked.
“Isn’t it [gambling] illegal there [China]. That’s why they go here. If that is illegal to them, why do we house them here?”
She called on the government to look at the legality of the Chinese gamblers to stay in the Philippines.
“The question is, why do we allow these illegals to stay? That’s no. 1. Secondly, how many exactly are they? They are already too many that we do not now know the numbers,” she said.
The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. wanted the transfer of the Chinese nationals working in Philippine offshore gaming operations to “self-contained” communities or hubs that would limit their interaction with Filipinos.
Pagcor vice president Jose Tria said the POGO hubs would respond to the complaints of many Filipinos about the reported unruly behavior of some Chinese offshore gambling workers.