Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. has ordered a full accounting of workers at a site in Misamis Oriental where authorities uncovered an alleged illegal operation involving foreign nationals and Filipino personnel handling potentially hazardous materials.
Teodoro visited the Philippine Veterans Investment Development Corporation Industrial Authority area on Friday after the operation was discovered in coordination with the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC).
The Department of National Defense said initial findings showed that 69 Chinese nationals and one Filipino were involved in the operation.
Teodoro, who also chairs the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, directed the Office of Civil Defense in Northern Mindanao to conduct a complete inventory and accounting of employees linked to the facility.
The DND said the site remains an active crime scene and is subject to an ongoing search warrant.
Teodoro was joined during the inspection by PAOCC chairman Benjamin Acorda, OCD-Northern Mindanao director Antonio Sugarol, and personnel from the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police.
According to the DND, PAOCC had earlier sought the department’s assistance to help address the situation and ensure the safety and welfare of affected workers and nearby communities.
Teodoro also instructed OCD-Northern Mindanao to coordinate with concerned agencies, including the Department of Labor and Employment and the Department of Social Welfare and Development, to provide assistance to displaced workers.
The defense chief also warned against any attempt to interfere with the investigation.
“Any attempt to obstruct lawful operations or impede the case would be dealt with accordingly,” the DND said, quoting Teodoro’s directive.
Authorities have yet to release further details on the nature of the materials found at the site, pending the continuing investigation.