COTABATO CITY, Philippines – Authorities held 37 Chinese nationals for questioning after they were found to be allegedly overseeing operations at the construction site of what is touted to become the largest mall under construction in Cotabato City.
None of them have presented valid work permits so far, according to the National Bureau of Investigation in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (NBI-BARMM).
NBI-BARMM Regional Director Jonathan Balite said the operation was conducted on Wednesday afternoon, November 13, in coordination with the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the military.
The Chinese nationals were rounded up and then brought to the NBI office in Cotabato for questioning regarding their specific roles in the project.
“These individuals are suspected to be contractors and construction supervisors,” said an NBI investigator who requested anonymity, as he was not authorized to speak publicly about the operation.
“We are in the process of verifying their identities, documents, and the legality of their employment here,” he added.
It took authorities nearly four hours to round up all the 37 Chinese due to the project site’s size and the hundreds of workers there at that time.
Balite said initial findings indicated the Chinese nationals lacked valid work permits and visas.
The NBI is awaiting further information from the Bureau of Immigration (BOI) regarding their status and the legitimacy of their documents.
The project has been traced to the Koronadal Commercial Corporation (KCC), a company that operates a chain of shopping malls in Mindanao.
KCC started as a textile store in Koronadal before expanding into a supermarket and department store. It later built malls in General Santos and Zamboanga cities.
The construction of KCC Mall of Cotabato began in 2020, with plans to make it the company’s largest mall. – Rappler.com