Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — Police arrested a Chinese in Makati on Wednesday and is investigating 59 others as government steps up its war on drugs.
Foreign employees of Chinese-owned cybergaming call center Hao Ying Solutions Inc. were caught off guard as police raided the office in Salcedo Village, Makati Wednesday night.
Senior Superintendent Eleazar Matta said they served a search warrant after receiving a complaint on a supposed pot session inside the cybergaming call center.
Police arrested the manager of the company, Zhang Hai Long. They recovered white crystalline substance believed to be shabu and other drug paraphernalia.
Matta said this proves government is cracking down on both the poor and rich in the war on drugs.
“Ito ang result na hindi lang yung mga naka-slippers yung ino-operate namin. Eto, foreign national, nasa upscale Makati condo ino-operate din ng inyong kapulisan,” Matta said.
[Translation: This is the result that we are not only operating on those people wearing slippers. These are foreign nationals in upscale Makati condominiums, the police are also operating here.]
Zhang Hai Long and one of the employees, Zhang Ming Chu, denied the charges.
The police is also probing a possible illegal online gambling operation. Philippine National Police Chief Ronald Dela Rosa had said illegal gambling is next on their agenda after the drug war.
Authorities are also looking into the company’s permits and employee documents.
The employees are mostly Chinese, 51 of them. Four are Taiwanese, four Singaporean, and one Hong Kong national. They have tourist visas and could possibly be illegal workers. The police is coordinating with the Bureau of Immigration on their status.
Zhang admitted his colleagues are still processing their work visas, but claimed some have work permits.
