Creation of 'China desks' at PNP offices seen to proceed

MANILA, Philippines (Update 2, 7:51 p.m.) — The Philippine National Police is in talks with Chinese police counterparts on the "establishment of China Desks in the PNP offices" that local police would likely implement "within the year," sources said.

This comes after Police Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, PNP chief, led a delegation of top PNP officials at a bilateral meeting with Chinese police counterparts from the Ministry of Public Security headed by Vice Minister Wang Xiaohong.

One source present at the meeting who spoke on the condition of anonymity said that Chinese officials specifically requested the establishment of the desks to address crimes against Chinese nationals.

"It will proceed. They talked about continuing the proposed China desk," the source said of the meeting, adding that the desks were the directive of Eleazar himself.

"Isang desk yan dedicated sa kanila, sa mga Chinese complainants...Para madali sila makapag-file ng complaint (There will be a desk dedicated to Chinese conplainants so they can file complaints easily)," Police Brig. Gen. Warren de Leon, executive officer of the PNP Directorate for Intelligence, also told Philstar.com in a phone call.

Proposal scrapped over backlash

To recall, public photos of the help desks for Chinese nationals went viral in June 2020 after the PNP Anti-Kidnapping Group reported a spike in cases of kidnapping involving Chinese nationals. 

Users on social media questioned the use of the desk at a time when the PNP had already set up Tourist Police Assistance Desks at popular tourist destinations.

Police Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac, PNP spokesperson at the time and who has since retired, said then that the photos that went viral were old. In August 2019, the PNP Anti-Kidnapping Group also said that some of its personnel were sent to China to study Mandarin.

In a statement released through the PNP's public information office, the PNP said that the proposed Chinese help desks are intended to "address concerns on the protection of overseas Chinese nationals and organizations."

This came after Police Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, PNP chief, led a delegation of top PNP officials at a bilateral meeting with Chinese police counterparts from the Ministry of Public Security headed by Director General Wei Xiaojun of the International Cooperation Department of of the Chinese MPS.

In this February 2020 file photo, personnel of this Natividad Police station in Pangasinan, established a Chinese Help Desk in relation to the novel coronavirus.

Screenshot by Interaksyon

FROM INTERAKSYON: Here’s why there are Chinese help desks in local police stations nationwide

"High in the agenda of the top-level video conference held at the PNP National Headquarters were discussions on mutual law enforcement and security concerns involving the crackdown on illegal POGO activities, telecom fraud, drug-related crime, and kidnapping," the PNP said.

"The Philippine National Police and the Ministry of Public Security of the People’s Republic of China moved to strengthen cooperation and collaboration on mutual law enforcement and transnational security concerns affecting both countries."

Both delegations sought "further inter-agency cooperation...for training cooperation and mutual assistance, including counter-terrorism, anti-drug operation, personal online training, and policing material aids" and agreed to work together to ensure of the 24th Winter Olympics in Beijing on February 2022.

Philstar.com reached out to Police Brig. Gen. Ronnie Olay, PNP spokesperson, for update on the proposed desk but he has yet to respond as of this post.