SENATOR Ronald ‘Bato’ dela Rosa stressed the need for a whole-of-government investigation into the alleged influx of Chinese students in Cagayan province to check for possible underlying motives.

“Kung totoo man ‘yan, dapat hindi nagpatulog-tulog ‘yung ating mga otoridad. Dapat maimbestigahan ‘yan para malaman natin at handa tayo kung anuman ang mayroon man yang mga underlying motives sa kanilang presensya d’yan. Dapat malaman natin,” Dela Rosa said.

“Whole-of-government approach na ito. For all we know maya-maya pagkita mo sa mga Chinese na ‘yan may mga Philippine passport holder… Hindi natin alam,” he added.

Dela Rosa added that there should be coordination among law enforcement agencies and government units in finding out the truth behind the supposed influx of Chinese students in the northern part of the country.

“Kanya-kanya. Kaya dapat magkaisa sila para iisang direksiyon lang ang kanilang tatahakin. Hindi lang, hindi lang Bureau of Immigration, lahat ng ahensiya dapat intelligence community ng Armed Forces ng PNP, lahat magtutulung-tulungan sila para ma-establish talaga nila ‘yung true picture on why the proliferation of these Chinese nationals in that particular area in the Philippines. Why and why and why until you find out the reason why,” he said.

The senator further stressed that the investigation should be conducted to erase doubts and to avoid a too-late-hero outcome.

“Dapat talaga magsimula na ngayon, magsimula na ‘yung imbestigasyon. Hindi ‘yung maghintay pa tayo na magmukha na lang tayong tanga sa mga pangyayari. Nakakabahala talaga. Nakakabahala yan ah. Hindi ‘yan dapat ipagwawalang bahala lang,” he said.

He added that it is normal for Filipinos to cast doubts on the reported influx of Chinese students in the country noting that it was the tactic used during the Japanese occupation.

“History will tell us na bago tayo in-invade ng Japanese noon eh matagal nang invaded dito sa ating community yung mga tauhan nila…Nakita na lang ng mga ninuno natin na nakasuot na ng uniporme ‘yung mga hapon na ‘yun. So pwedeng mangyari ‘yan, posibleng posible talaga ‘yan. At dapat hindi natin pabayaan yan, aksyunan kaagad dapat natin yan,” he said.

“Dapat ma-explain para maklaro tayo kasi alam mo dapat ang ayusin nila muna ‘yung mga actions nila, para hindi magiging kaduda-duda on our part. Normal lang sa atin ‘yan na magdududa. Alam natin ‘yung ginagawa nila sa West Philippine Sea. Kaya sino bang hindi magdududa kung wala silang ginagawang masama dyan sa West Philippine Sea,” he added.