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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider PNP denies discrimination in Misamis Oriental steel plant raid

PNP denies discrimination in Misamis Oriental steel plant raid

Published May 22, 2026 04:36 pm
The Philippine National Police (PNP) denied claims of discrimination in the codnuct of operation at a steel plant in Misamis Oriental, saying the raid was carried out due to violations of the law.
PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio C. Nartatez, Jr. assured the Chinese Embassy in Manila the operation was done strictly in line with legal procedures based on a court-issued warrant and supported by validated complaints involving various violations. 
“The Philippine National Police categorically denies any claim of discrimination regarding the recent joint operation in Misamis Oriental,” said Nartatez.
“Our personnel acted strictly based on a lawful, court-issued search warrant to address specific complaints on immigration violations, labor laws, and public safety issues involving hazardous materials,” he added.
A total of 69 Chinese workers were arrested and the Chinese Embassy raised concerns over the operation over alleged discrimination.
Nartatez, however, emphasized that enforcement actions were guided solely by law and evidence gathered before the operation, stressing that the presence of foreign nationals was not the basis of the operation.
“We do not look at nationality, we look at the violations committed,” Nartatez noted.
The PNP, along with other law enforcement agencies, raided the Phil. Sanjia-Steel Corporation manufacturing plant located inside the PHIVIDEC Industrial Estate in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental on May 16, uncovering 69 undocumented Chinese nationals and one Filipino allegedly working illegally in the facility,
The joint operation was carried out by the PNP with other law enforcement units under a search warrant. 
Experts from the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) detected the presence of radioactive materials in several areas of the facility.
“The PNP remains fully committed to ensuring that all foreign workers and investors who operate legally within our borders are protected, and we assure the international community that the regulatory and judicial processes will be conducted with the utmost fairness, transparency, and respect for human rights,” Nartatez said. 
Plight of local workers 
In a statement, the Philippine Sanjia Steel Corporation denounced the operation and described it as a “manufactured crisis driven by unverified allegations, sensationalism, and what it described as blatant corporate sabotage.”
“This was not about public safety. This was harassment packaged as law enforcement,” the company said through its spokesperson and legal counsel, Atty. Julia Chu.
Following the operation, authorities ordered the temporary closure of the facility pending legal proceedings and Sanjia warned that the shutdown immediately displaced over 300 Filipino workers and operators.
“We demand the immediate reopening of the factory because our Filipino workers are hungry. Their families are suffering from an artificial economic crisis triggered not by market forces, but by state-sponsored harassment,” the company said.
Philippine Sanjia Steel Corporation maintained that it remains a legitimate industrial manufacturing enterprise and argued that the allegations have already caused substantial reputational and economic damage not only to the company but also to workers, suppliers, and business partners.
Amid the controversy, Sanjia announced plans to invite independent international auditors and its Japanese suppliers to conduct transparent assessments and validate the facility’s compliance and operational standards.

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