A case originally classified as "impersonating a public official for extortion" is rapidly evolving into a public event within the Filipino-Chinese community.
On March 17, 2024, the Philippine CIDG (Criminal Investigation and Detection Group) raided the well-known Manila restaurant "Chengdu Tavern," taking away the owner—also the vice president of the Sichuan-Chongqing Chamber of Commerce, Mr. He (nickname "Brother Shrimp"), along with two other Chinese nationals, Mr. Peng and Mr. Xiong, who were present. The news caused a huge uproar in the local Chinese community.
However, the incident quickly revealed a far more complex outline than mere "extortion."
"Brother Shrimp" strikes back loudly: claims to be framed rather than extorting
Recently, "Brother Shrimp" appeared on social media and public occasions, claiming that he was not the perpetrator, but a victim who was counterattacked after a failed extortion setup.
He directly accused a Chinese man, Mr. Liang, of being the mastermind behind the scenes, and alleged collusion between him and some CIDG officers, who raided his residence and business premises without any legal procedures, demanding 5 million pesos in "protection money." Because he refused to cooperate, "Brother Shrimp" said that he and unrelated people around him were also arrested.
According to his legal team, a countersuit was officially filed with the Supreme Court of the Philippines on March 21, accusing several law enforcement officers of abuse of power and illegal detention, involving suspected "compatriot reporting compatriot" internal struggles.
Chinese exploiting Chinese? The exposure of the insider mechanism behind the gray industry
This type of setup for extortion is not an isolated case. In the Philippines, there have been numerous incidents in recent years where Chinese have been extorted by "black police" or "brokers," often involving intermediaries familiar with the Chinese way of life. These brokers, leveraging their Chinese identity, navigate the edges of the gray industry, using their language advantage and community relations to mediate law enforcement resources, building a "gray collaboration chain."
They do not act directly, but can use law enforcement resources to strike, threaten, or even extort. The "Brother Shrimp" incident is seen by many insiders as a publicized "crash" of this model.
Whether "Brother Shrimp" is innocent or not is still undecided. However, his bold move to appear publicly and file a countersuit has resonated within the Chinese community. Some expatriates consider him one of the few who dare to confront the system and try to use the law to protect their rights.
However, some voices point out that as a senior member of the Chamber of Commerce and someone familiar with the business and law enforcement ecosystem in the Philippines, could "Brother Shrimp" really be completely unaware of the rules and risks? Whether his claim of being "completely unaware" holds water remains to be seen, pending further investigation and subsequent court decisions.
The dilemma of the Philippine judicial system: the double whammy of systemic loopholes and community indifference
The Philippine law enforcement and judicial systems have long been plagued by procedural chaos and rent-seeking. In recent years, from the RCBC money laundering case and illegal detentions of Chinese citizens in Sunshine Prison to multiple "black police extortion" cases, systemic issues have been exposed. In this environment, Chinese not only face the risk of foreign law enforcement but also the reality of being betrayed by acquaintances.
The "Brother Shrimp" incident has deeply stung the Filipino-Chinese community's greatest anxieties: Who can we really trust? This question is more worrying than the case itself.
Whether "Brother Shrimp's" overturning of the case stands up to judicial scrutiny remains to be seen. But this case has become a signal: facing the abuse of power and systemic black holes, speaking out is at least the most powerful protest against silence.
It may not be a complete victory, but it reveals more critical issues: Do Chinese in the Philippines really have a "safe zone"?
Not all who speak out are innocent, but silence is definitely not the way out.
