Did they arrive in the Philippines during the administration of the pro-China Duterte regime?

Two Chinese nationals were apprehended by the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) in an exclusive subdivision here for the alleged possession of high-caliber firearms and an attempted bribery.

The NCRPO raided the suspects’ residence after receiving information about the illegal firearms.

Recovered from the townhouse were high-powered firearms, ammunition, helmets bearing the word “China”, a tactical vest, and a Chinese flag, GMA News reported.

Police Major General Jose Melencio Nartatez, NCRPO chief, commented on the findings, saying, “These were high-powered firearms, complete with protective gears, bullet [proof] vests, ballistic helmets, and assault weapons. Is he a gun lover? What is his personality?”

The raid also led to the confiscation of luxury vehicles, including a McLaren sports car worth between P15 to P30 million. Nartatez expressed concern over the source of these expensive assets, stating, “These cost a lot of money, where did they get it? We are questioning this because they cannot provide documents. We will coordinate with the [Bureau of] Customs and other agencies.”

One of the suspects, speaking through an interpreter, claimed not to know the owner of the confiscated items.

One of the arrested Chinese nationals allegedly tried to bribe members of the NCRPO team with P3 million in exchange for the release of three foreigners previously arrested for possessing guns and grenades in Taguig City.

“They tried to bribe the police officers so the profiling will continue. That’s why we will file an additional case against them,” Nartatez stated.

The NCRPO lauded its Regional Special Operations Group (NCRPO-RSOG) operatives for their integrity in refusing the bribe. Nartatez remarked, “What they did was exemplary as it showed integrity and professionalism within law enforcement.”

The attempted bribery incident originated from an RSOG operation in Barangay Bambang, Taguig City, resulting in the arrest of Haiqiang Su, who was found in possession of firearms and grenades.

Two other Chinese nationals were also arrested during the raid.

Furthermore, a man identified as Jerry Mari S. Cheng arrived at the RSOG headquarters and handed over cash to one of the arrested individuals.

Instead of accepting the money, the RSOG officers apprehended the briber, while Cheng managed to escape.

Nartatez disclosed that aside from firearms, luxury vehicles, including a McLaren GTR sports car and an electric sports utility vehicle, were also seized for alleged illegal transfer of plates and use of improvised plates.

Amid concerns over the increasing presence of Chinese nationals near Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) sites, Nartatez revealed that the arrested Chinese are connected to the Philippine Offshore Gaming (POGO) operations.

He emphasized the importance of conducting thorough background checks due to the presence of firearms and the flag seized from the suspects.

“If you have a flag, that is a sign of patriotism and it shows where you came from,” Nartatez said. “But with the presence of firearms, that is unusual. So we are conducting a more deep profiling especially that they have finances, they have cars.”

The NCRPO assured that a follow-up operation will be conducted to identify other suspects involved in the illegal activities.