HASTEN PROBE. House Deputy Majority Leader and ACT-CIS Party-List Rep. Erwin Tulfo in this undated photo. On Sunday (July 7, 2024), he urged Congress to speed up the inquiry on a reclamation project in Manila Bay, following the arrest of nine Chinese nationals who disembarked from a dredging vessel. (PNA photo by Yancy Lim)
House Deputy Majority Leader and ACT-CIS Party-List Rep. Erwin Tulfo on Sunday urged Congress to expedite the inquiry on a reclamation project in Manila Bay, following the recent arrest by Bureau of Immigration (BI) operatives of nine Chinese nationals who disembarked from a dredging vessel.
Tulfo filed a resolution last year asking for a House probe on the Manila Bay reclamation due to national security threats after learning that all workers on the said project are Chinese nationals who usually disembark from their ships and roam around Metro Manila.
“Ito 'yung sinasabi ko noon na bumababa ng barko nila ang mga manggagawa na Chinese at umiikot dito sa Metro Manila (This is what I was saying then that these Chinese workers used to get off their ships and go around Metro Manila),” the party-list solon said.
“Ang tanong ngayon: Ano ang pakay nila para gumala sila sa Maynila gayong wala silang mga visa (The question now: what is their intention in roaming around Manila when they don’t have visa)?” he asked.
According to Tulfo, the US Embassy was the first to express concern about the Manila Bay reclamation after it was learned that a Chinese company was involved in the project.
He noted that the company China Communications Construction Co., which is in charge of the dredging and reclamation operations, is the same company responsible for building air and naval bases in the South China Sea.
Before the arrest of the Chinese nationals, BI Intelligence Division chief Fortunato Manahan Jr. disclosed that they immediately conducted surveillance and intelligence gathering after receiving reports that certain Chinese individuals were disembarking and boarding vessels along Manila Bay.
Those arrested, aged between 33 and 54, were identified as Li Weilin, Liu Peng, Wang Yong, Huang Haibing, Gong Yuan Ju, Zhang Tao, Dai Guang Yuan, Li Jiang Yu and Kang Tian De, Manahan said.
In August 2023, Tulfo, along with his colleagues from the ACT-CIS partylist, Representatives Edvic Yap and Jocelyn Tulfo, filed House Resolution No. 1171, requesting the House Committees on National Defense and Security, and Ecology, to review the reclamation projects surrounding Manila Bay.
“Kailangan na talaga nating tutukan itong seguridad ng ating bansa dahil nagkalat na ang mga ‘yan (Chinese) sa ating bansa (We really need to focus on the security of our land because they [Chinese] are already scattered in our country),” Tulfo said.
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