The Philippine telecommunications operator DITO Telecommunity recently responded to the incident where 39 Chinese technical personnel were detained by the Philippine Bureau of Immigration, acknowledging that this might slightly impact some projects technically, but emphasized that these employees were dispatched by an outsourcing partner and had no direct employment relationship with DITO.
According to DITO's statement, these technical personnel possess high-level skills in network construction and maintenance, and are considered scarce local talents. The company stated that although the temporary absence of these employees might affect the progress of certain projects, the related technical positions could be gradually replaced by subsequent local or international talents, ensuring the overall business remains stable.
"These employees are not directly hired by DITO, but are legally dispatched by a technical service provider to support our projects based on contracts," the company clarified.
Meanwhile, an unnamed Chinese engineer on assignment stated that all 39 colleagues came to the Philippines through regular recruitment and dispatch procedures with legal visas, contracts, and dispatch letters, mainly responsible for the construction of base stations and maintenance of communication systems. The sudden determination by the immigration bureau that "the type of visa does not match the actual work" and detaining them under the name of "illegal employment" made them feel extremely helpless.
"We came to help build the telecommunications infrastructure in the Philippines, not to engage in illegal activities, and such misunderstanding is hard to accept," said the engineer.
He also pointed out that Chinese technical personnel have been actively involved in telecommunications and infrastructure construction in Southeast Asia, making significant contributions to regional development. This incident not only severely impacts the morale of the employees but also causes concerns about the future for compliant expatriate personnel.
As of now, the Philippine Bureau of Immigration has not announced further handling of the case. DITO stated that it will continue to cooperate with the investigation, striving to ensure the normal operation of the telecommunications network and the legal rights of the employees. Neither China nor the Philippines has made a public statement regarding this matter, and whether it will lead to discussions on bilateral manpower policies remains to be observed.
