By Hannah Torregoza
Otso Diretso senatorial candidate Manuel “Mar” Roxas II clarified he was not opposed to Filipino-Chinese nationals staying in the country, as their contribution to the Philippine economy is well known.
Senatorial candidate Mar Roxas (RIO LEONELLE DELUVIO / MANILA BULLETIN)
Roxas, who earlier called on the government to stop granting automatic visas to Chinese nationals, explained that he was not including Filipino-Chinese in his earlier statement.
“Linawin ko lang, mga dayuhang Chinese—hindi yung mga Filipino-Chinese na kinikilala natin na tumutulong sa ating ekonomiya, (I just want to clarify, Chinese nationals—not Filipino-Chinese—are the ones we recognize as the ones helping our economy),” Roxas said in an interview while campaigning in Laguna.
“Lumilikha sila ng mga negosyo at trabaho, yung mga Filipino-Chinese, pero itong mga dayuhang Chinese, inaagaw sa mga Pilipino yung mga trabaho na andito sa construction, pagkakarpintero, pagtutubero (The Filipino-Chinese are creating jobs and businesses, but these Chinese nationals are taking away from Filipinos jobs in construction, carpentry and plumbing),” he said.
Roxas reiterated his call for the government to consider his proposal, and stop granting automatic visas to Chinese individuals entering the country until they can provide accurate figures on the number of Chinese nationals already here in the Philippines and are working.
“Para sa akin, itigil natin ang automatic na pagpasok hanggang malaman ng DOLE at ng Immigration, ilan ba sila ang nakapasok dito? Saan sila nagtatrabaho? Nagbabayad ba sila ng tamang buwis? (We should stop the automatic entry of Chinese nationals until such time the DOLE and Immigration can answer how many of them are here now? Where are they working? Are they paying correct taxes?)” Roxas stressed.
“Dahil ang mga Pilipino hindi pa nila nakikita ang mga sahod nila, kinakaltasan nan g 20 percent withholding tax (Because Filipino workers, for the most part, receive salaries that is subject to a 20 percent withholding tax),” he said.
“Inaagaw nila yung ating West Philippine Sea, pati yung mga trabaho dito sa atin inaagaw na rin nila? Para sa akin, itigil natin yan (automatic visa) hanggang malaman natin gaano kalaki ang problema (They’re taking away our West Philippine Sea, do they also have to take away the jobs available here for us? That’s why, I suggest we stop granting automatic visa until we can assess how big our problem is),” he pointed out. #MatalinongBoto2019