AFP checking Chinese students' influx in Cagayan

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is looking into the reported swarm of Chinese college students in the province of Cagayan.

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More than 4,600 Chinese nationals have reportedly enrolled in a private university and rented homes in various locations in Tuguegarao.

The military will coordinate with the Philippine National Police (PNP) on the matter, AFP spokesperson Col.Francel Margareth Padilla said.

"The AFP takes seriously any reports so we are looking into this, but in terms of peace and order issues, that is the mandate of the PNP," Padilla told reporters yesterday at a press briefing.

"We'll be working with them closely on this matter, so investigations will be on their end, and if there will be AFP requirements from their end, then we will be extending our assistance accordingly," she added.

Reacting to calls for a legislative inquiry, Cagayan Gov. Manuel Mamba said he believes that having foreign students in Tuguegarao is not a security threat.

"The presence of Chinese students in Cagayan and nationwide is the result of an agreement made by Chinese learning institutions and the Commission on Higher Education," he explained in a statement, pointing to a 2019 agreement between CHED and the Ministry of China.