DND slams Chinese Embassy's 'evasive' response in latest row amid arrested workers

The Department of National Defense (DND) on Sunday responded to the latest tirade by the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines concerning the arrested Chinese workers of a steel plant in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental.

After the embassy accused Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. of "distorting the facts" regarding the matter, the department described the other party's response as a form of "evasiveness."

"The Chinese Embassy’s response does not contain any answers. Instead, it is full of questions and rhetoric. This is a classic example of evasiveness and a badge of deception. This is in legal practice an implied admission of culpability," said DND spokesperson Arsenio Andolong in a statement.

On Saturday, Teodoro maintained that the activities by the arrested foreigners in the said plant were illegal.

But the embassy questioned the AFPs role in the raid operation. It further questioned the arrest of the Chinese workers instead of the people behind the plant. The embassy also said that 70 Chinese workers were arrested, not 69.

The Chinese Embassy also denied Teodoro's allegations that its officials actively intervened in local law enforcement processes and threatened retaliation against Filipinos, as revealed during a Senate hearing.

"Regardless of the reason a Chinese national is detained, the Chinese Embassy has the right and responsibility to conduct consular visits, provide consular protection, make demarches to relevant Philippine law-enforcement authorities to ensure humane, fair and just treatment of detained Chinese nationals," it said.

For its part, the DND said that the latest statement by the Chinese Embassy is another misinformation attempt.

"They cannot hide behind their disingenuous misinformation," said Andolong.

“'Di tayo pasisiil! (We will not be oppressed!),” the DND said.

'Answer all our questions'

The Chinese Embassy also made a similar response saying that the DND's statement did not answer their questions.

"Spokesperson Arsenio Andolong's statement does not contain any answers to our questions. It is filled with evasiveness and deception," it said.

The embassy also said that Teodoro, "cannot hide behind his disingenuous disinformation. ANSWER ALL OUR QUESTIONS," Chinese Embassy spokesperson Ji Lingpeng posted on Facebook. —RF, GMA News