Bagong Alyansang Makabayan-Negros (Bayan-Negros) Secretary-General Michael dela Concepcion criticized Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Silvestre Bello III over recent comments regarding the entry of Chinese workers into the country.

According to dela Concepcion, “The country does not need them.”

He added, “Filipino workers are capable of doing the same work.”

Bello earlier stated, Chinese nationals who hold work permits are only filling vacancies Filipinos cannot or would not do.

“It is the right of the Filipino people to be given jobs,” dela Concepcion responded. “There is no reason for us to give way for the entry of foreign workers.”

He added, such jobs are “supposed to be for Filipinos only.”

Earlier, Senator Francis Pangilinan said officials from DOLE and the Bureau of Immigration who allowed the entry of illegal Chinese workers should be dismissed from the service.

The government, meanwhile, said it will enforce immigration laws against illegal Chinese workers./DGB, WDJ