Chinese authorities' arrest of over 100 Filipinos allegedly living and working illegally in China "is plain and simple extortion and blackmailing", Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said on Thursday.

In a statement, Teodoro stressed that "the Filipinos in China have neither the intent nor the capacity to commit violations of Chinese law much less in the scale perpetuated by Chinese nationals here".

"The action against 100 Filipinos is plain and simple extortion and blackmail. We strongly condemn both the attempt by China to interfere in our law enforcement processes and the blatant blackmail against Filipinos,'' he said.

China Daily, quoting Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun. reported on Aug, 10 that immigration authorities have taken ''law-based action against more than 100 Philippine nationals for illegal employment and illegal residence in China, as part of efforts to step up supervision over such violations''.

The arrest of Filipinos was made following a Philippine law enforcement operation where Chinese workers were apprehended at the Philippine Sanjia Steel Corp. in Misamis Oriental in May.

Teodoro said the Philippine law enforcement efforts against the Chinese nationals were done on the basis of search warrants issued by the proper courts.

"The individuals arrested by the authorities were the principals of these illegal enterprises. Chinese authorities stress the issue of the work visas and passports of these individuals while refusing to address the illegal activities that they perpetuated," he said.

"This is an admission by them that indeed the acts of these individuals were illegal under Philippine law. The fact that the Chinese government is actively covering up for these individuals is the best evidence of their complicity in the nefarious acts of these people," he added.

Teodoro also "reiterated that if these Chinese nationals were not involved in defrauding the Filipino people, which is now amplified by the cover up done by Chinese authorities, then they will be treated in the same way as other law abiding foreigners residing in the Philippines." Robina Asido/PHS