Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 8) — Senate Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship committee chair Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III wants Chinese-owned restaurants discriminating against Filipinos shut down.
Pimentel, who is running for reelection, told CNN Philippines’ The Source that local government units (LGUs) should revoke the permits of these allegedly exclusive Chinese restaurants if it is proven that they only cater to Chinese nationals.
“Padala kayo (LGUs) doon ng tao niyo na kakain sa restaurant. Kung tinaboy o tinanggi, then therefore that’s discrimination, you have to now revoke the permit,” he said Wednesday.
[Translation: LGUs should send people to eat at those restaurants. If they are shooed away or refused entry, then that’s discrimination, they have to revoke the permit.]
He added that this is a violation of the constitutionally-guaranteed right to be free from discrimination.
“Filipinos cannot discriminate inside the Philippines. Eh tayo nga hindi pwedeng magdiscrimnate sa foreigners and … we have foreign-owned businesses discriminating against Filipinos,” Pimentel said.
[Translation: Filipinos cannot discriminate inside the Philippines. We cannot discriminate foreigners and yet we have foreign-owned businesses discriminating against Filipinos.]
Pimentel, however, does not want to attribute the surge of Chinese businesses in the country to the warming ties between the Philippines and China, saying that it is possible that other foreign-owned businesses are also refusing to serve Filipinos.
Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson has made a similar call to shut down establishments that only cater to Chinese nationals.
Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said in a statement that they have directed their regional offices to check the stores in their areas and called on the public to report any violations through their 1-DTI hotline.
“Serving only Chinese clients or any specific nationality in a store is a form of discrimination and is not allowed,” Lopez said in a statement on Wednesday.
Lopez added that these businesses should also provide translations.
Some residents of Boracay, Aklan have called for action against Chinese-run businesses which they said prioritize their nationals and only post signages in Chinese. The Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force earlier said authorities will look into the permits and licenses of such establishments.
Malacañang has said it will ask the Labor Department to verify complaints against these businesses.
