MANILA, Philippines — Police refuted yesterday the reported presence of a Chinese military force at an exclusive village in Parañaque City.
In a statement, the Southern Police District (SPD) said the result of its initial investigation showed that concerns about the presence of Chinese militia at Multinational Village “may not be as substantial as initially portrayed.”
“Upon receiving such information, intelligence operatives conducted a probe,” the SPD said.
Citing its investigation, the SPD said the presence of Chinese militia in the village has been proven false.
Police also disproved the presence of Chinese nationals displaying “military-like behavior” in the village.
“Interviews with local authorities revealed that persons observed jogging within the village, who may have been mistaken for military personnel, were in fact members of the village security,” the SPD added.
Authorities pointed out that Chinese citizens residing in the village increased due to the introduction of Philippine offshore gaming operators or POGO during the Duterte administration.
“But there has been a decrease in the number of Chinese nationals in the village in recent years,” the SPD said.
Several homeowners of Multinational Village earlier appealed to national security authorities to probe the “throng of draft-age male Chinese nationals” in the village.
The residents also aired their concerns about the possible presence of Chinese “sleeper” agents in the area.
“Further validation by authorities is required to substantiate these claims,” the SPD said.