AMID on-and-off relationship between the Philippines and China over territorial disputes in the West Philippine Sea this year, Chinese involvement in various crimes like kidnapping remained a major headache of the Philippine National Police (PNP).

The PNP said they have been shocked by their discovery that some of the suspects are operating ‘modern-day slavery rings.’

“Almost everything was done by them. From kidnappings, to drug trafficking to online scams that net them millions of dollars a day,” said a ranking security official who talked to the Journal Group on condition of anonymity.

Late this year, the Senate launched an investigation into the presence of Chinese nationals in the country who have acquired authentic government clearances, including birth certificates, which enabled them to get Philippine passports.

Last November 5, the Journal Group carried an exclusive story on the presence of numerous Chinese who can’t speak English and Filipino but carrying Philippine passports.

Former PNP chief-turned Senator Ronald ‘Bato’ M. dela Rosa revealed that he has been informed by the Department of Foreign Affairs about the presence of 10 foreigners with genuine Philippine passports.

Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda likewise said she had been informed by the DFA that it has discovered that the “foreign nationals pose themselves as Filipinos through the presentation of authentic and genuine Philippine Statistics Authority birth certificates, with valid government-issued ID cards that are accepted for a passport application.”

The Senate said it will pursue the filing of cases against these foreigners with the assistance of the PSA, the PNP, the Bureau of Immigration and the National Bureau of Immigration to prevent similar cases in the future.

Senate President Jose Miguel Zubiri also revealed he has gotten information from the NBI that a civil registry office in Caraga region has been giving out birth certificates to several Chinese that do not speak English or any Filipino language.

The senators expressed alarm regarding the presence of these Chinese nationals with Philippine passports since it already involves ‘national security.’

“Baka mamaya itong mga Chinese-speaking individuals who are not really Filipinos baka nagkalat na ‘yung passports na sa kanila,” Sen. dela Rosa said.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, some ranking security officials said they are investigating hundreds, if not thousands of citizens of Mainland China who have been issued government clearances and other permits which allow them to have a Philippine passport.

“We have checked the clearances issued and found out that they are all included in the official online records of concerned government agencies. They are not fake documents,” said another official involved in an ongoing government investigation into the anomaly.

Apart from the Birth Certificates which allowed them to acquire Philippine passports, many of the Chinese nationals being probed have been issued Driver’s License, Tax Identification Number, License to Own and Possess Firearm and NBI and National Police Clearances.

Early this month, 180 Chinese nationals engaged in offshore gambling in Manila were repatriated to China.

The 180 were detained in a raid on a suspected sex-trafficking and online scam operation in the southern part of Metro Manila.