Manila calls for deportation of two Chinese who called city ”province of China”

August 21, 2020

Manila City Mayor Francisco 'Isko Moreno' Domagoso on Thursdaycalled for the deportation of two Chinese nationals for branding the capital city as a "province of China."

In a mayoral address via Facebook Live, Domagoso said tagging Manila as a province of China on the labels of cosmetic products being sold by Elegant Fumes Beauty Products Inc. is "unacceptable."

Authorities identified the Chinese nationals as Shi Zhong Xing and Shi Li Li.

"I will write the Bureau of Immigration to deport and declare these two Chinese nationals as undesirable aliens," Domagoso said.

"This is unacceptable for me being a Filipino and a Manileño. We won't allow this. Binondo is part of Manila and the Philippines. Manila is the country's capital. It is not a province of China. Manila has never been part  of Chiina in history books from the time of our predecessors, " Domagoso said.

The Mayor also blasted in his address the Chinese nationals for disrespecting the sovereignty of the Philippines.

Domagoso ordered Bureau of Permits director Levi Facundo to issue a closure order and revocation of permit to operate against their business establishment in Binondo.

Facundo said the business establishment was also found to be violating rules and regulations of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

He said that the Chinese nationals do not indicate on their products any "batch/lot number" and "name and address of the company or person responsible for placing the product in the market."

"These are the minimum information required by law to appear on the immediate and or outer packaging of a cosmetic product," Facundo said.

"This is not a small matter because this is misrepresentation.  Misrepresentation meaning you're selling a product and the information is wrong," he said.

Facundo said that his office will also revoke the mayor's permit of the corporation. The FDA is also set to cancel the license to operate of Elegant Fumes Beauty Products Inc. due to the various issues, he said.

Likewise, four more establishments were ordered closed for selling products bearing the same labels tagging Manila as a "province of China."