Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro on Thursday defended the arrests of Chinese nationals in the Philippines, saying the operations were backed by court-issued warrants, as he condemned China's immigration action against more than 100 Filipinos.

Teodoro was reacting to a report by Manila-based Chinese-language newspaper Chinese Commercial News (菲律賓商報), which said more than 100 Filipinos had faced immigration action in China in what sources described as retaliation for a series of Philippine operations involving Chinese nationals.

The newspaper reported on 12 August that sources familiar with the matter described China's move as a targeted countermeasure against Teodoro.

The report traced the dispute to a Philippine law enforcement operation in May involving 70 Chinese workers at Sanjia Steel in Misamis Oriental.

“The law enforcement efforts against the Chinese nationals that are referred to in a recent report were done on the basis of search warrants issued by the proper courts. The individuals arrested by the authorities were the principals of these illegal enterprises. Chinese authorities stress the issue of the work visas and passports of these individuals while refusing to address the illegal activities that they perpetuated. This is an admission by them that indeed the acts of these individuals were illegal under Philippine law,” Teodoro said in a statement sent to DAILY TRIBUNE.

Teodoro accused Chinese authorities of covering up for Chinese nationals allegedly engaged in illegal activities in the Philippines.

“Filipinos in China have neither the intent nor the capacity to commit violations of Chinese law much less in the scale perpetuated by Chinese nationals here. The fact that the Chinese government is actively covering up for these individuals is the best evidence of their complicity in the nefarious acts of these people,” he said.

Teodoro also described the action against the Filipinos as “plain and simple extortion and blackmail.”

“We strongly condemn both the attempt by China to interfere in our law enforcement processes and the blatant blackmail against Filipinos,” he said.

Chinese Commercial News, citing sources, reported that China was considering further action against Filipinos in Hong Kong and Macao, as well as possible economic and trade measures against the Philippines, should Teodoro continue what the sources described as his “anti-China” approach.

China has not officially announced such measures against Filipinos in Hong Kong and Macao.

China's Foreign Ministry, however, announced on 10 August that immigration authorities had launched a special operation involving more than 100 Philippine citizens.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said the Filipinos were dealt with in accordance with Chinese laws and regulations over alleged illegal employment and overstaying.

The Foreign Ministry did not publicly link the operation to Teodoro.

Teodoro maintained that Chinese nationals who obey Philippine laws would be treated like other law-abiding foreigners in the country.

“If these Chinese nationals were not involved in defrauding the Filipino people, which is now amplified by the cover up done by Chinese authorities, then they will be treated in the same way as other law abiding foreigners residing in the Philippines,” he said.