MANILA, Philippines – To curb rising crime committed by Chinese nationals in the Philippines, new Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Lieutenant General Archie Gamboa eyes establishing a “Chinese desk.”

“We will be establishing, probably, a Chinese desk, and cross-training on language, on culture, so that we can understand why they are doing this,” Gamboa said in a mix of English and Filipino in a briefing in Camp Crame on Monday, January 20. 

How will it work? Gamboa said the PNP would still have to establish a technical working group or TWG to study the idea.

If it pushes through, it wouldn’t be the first Chinese desk in the PNP. The PNP Anti-Kidnapping Group (AKG) has set up theirs in early January as they are the unit that faces most of the sensational cases: kidnapping and extortion.

The PNP-AKG’s Chinese desk comprises of two Chinese police officers assisting AKG agents to accept walk-in complaints from Chinese nationals.

The rise of crime: According to data from the PNP-AKG, the number of kidnapped Chinese has risen by 71% from 2018 to 2019.

Thousands of Chinese workers have flown to the Philippines amid the rise of online gambling operations, the influx of infrastructure projects run by Chinese businessmen who hire only Chinese laborers, and the warming of ties between Manila and Beijing under the Duterte administration. – Rappler.com