A screenshot of the video of the incident released by the Philippine Department of Transportation-Special Action and Intelligence Committee for Transportation (DOTr-SAICT). Photo: DOTr-SAICT Facebook
A video of someone claiming to be a staff member at the US embassy in Manila, Philippines, being issued a traffic ticket and refusing to cooperate, then accusing Philippine law enforcement officers of intending to sell his personal information to so-called Chinese spies, drew attention on social media in the Philippines on Friday. An official from the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines responded to Global Times' inquiry on the issue Friday, saying that the specific identity of the foreign person in the video is still unclear, but the related accusations are "absurd."
The driver of an SUV with US Embassy diplomatic plates was issued a ticket by traffic police for illegally passing through the EDSA Busway along Ortigas Avenue in Manila on Friday morning. The Philippine Department of Transportation-Special Action and Intelligence Committee for Transportation (DOTr-SAICT) said the American driver failed to present a valid license and showed his passport instead, Philippine media outlet GMA Network reported.
In the video posted by DOTr-SAICT, another American, the passenger, told the Philippine police to delete the photo of his colleague's passport, claiming that it was illegal. He also told the apprehending officer to speak to a high-ranking police officer to resolve the issue before they "have to report it to the US embassy" and escalate it to an official diplomatic level, according to the report.
In the video, the passenger also claimed that the Philippine officer might "sell the picture of the passport to the Chinese spies whom we're trying to help arrest" via the police's personal phone, and further said the Philippine officer was "going to cause a problem between the US, the Philippines, and China."
The US Embassy later confirmed that the Americans involved in the incident are members of the embassy community, according to the GMA report.
An official from the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines told the Global Times on Friday that the specific identity of the foreign individuals who violated traffic regulations in the video is currently unclear. However, their attempt to evade investigation by Philippine police under the pretext of protecting themselves against "Chinese spies" is absurd, the official added.
Recently, Philippine officials have repeatedly, maliciously hyped up the so-called "Chinese spy" topic, slandering Chinese citizens in the Philippines as being involved in "spying" activities. The Chinese Embassy in Manila has lodged a stern representation to the Philippine side, stating that the allegations of Chinese citizens engaging in espionage activities in the country are defamatory. The embassy urges the Philippine side to base its actions on facts, refrain from presuming guilt, and stop the political hype based on unfounded suspicions.
