PNP arrests Chinese national for murder

The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Monday announced the arrest of a Chinese national who is accused of killing an individual in Makati in 2024.

PNP chief Police General Nicolas Torre said the individual was arrested on July 19 in Tawi-Tawi after returning to the Philippines.

“Ayon sa ating intelligence, natanggap natin na siya ay babalik sa bansa sa pamamagitan ng southern backdoor, ang ruta na pinaghihinalaan natin na ginamit niya sa pag takas,” Torre said in a media briefing.

(According to our intelligence, we received information that he will return to the country through the southern backdoor, the route we suspect he used to escape.)

According to Torre, the Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 59 issued the arrest warrant against the suspect.

He said the individual was charged for kidnapping a Chinese acupuncturist in 2022 in Manila. However, he said the case was dismissed. 

“Hindi ligtas ang Pilipinas sa mga kriminal na nagtatago rito o gumagawa ng krimen at tatakas papunta sa ibang bansa. Hindi tayo magpapabaya at hindi natin kinokonsinte ang mga sindikatong ito na nang bibiktima ng mga banyaga at nag sasagawa ng krimen dito man o sa ibang bansa,” he said. 

(The Philippines is not a safe haven for criminals who are hiding here or committing crimes and then fleeing to other countries. We will not be negligent and we do not tolerate these syndicates that victimize foreigners and commit crimes either here or abroad.)

Travel warning

Meanwhile, Torre slammed as "baseless," China's travel warning urging Chinese students who are considering to enroll in Philippine schools.

The Chinese Ministry of Education advisory warned that the "security situation in the Philippines has been unstable recently, with a surge in crimes targeting Chinese nationals."

“At the end of the day nakita niyo naman sa ngayon, maraming propaganda, maraming ang lalabasan mga statements designed to shape a narrative,” Torre said.

(At the end of the day you’ve seen it now, there’s a lot of propaganda, many statements will come out that are designed to shape a narrative.)

Meanwhile, the Department of Foreign Affairs has also protested the warning, saying it "mischaracterizes the situation in the Philippines." —VAL, GMA Integrated News