The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) of the Philippines recently raided the Cleveland Apartments in Manila, claiming to combat "illegal jungling" online activities, and arrested more than 20 Chinese nationals and 9 Korean nationals on the scene. However, the development of the event has sparked great controversy: according to multiple sources, as of June 29, all Chinese nationals were released after paying a "fee", while the 9 Koreans, who refused to pay, were formally detained and even named and exposed by the media.
Insiders revealed that the so-called law enforcement action "appeared to be a raid but was premeditated" and did not follow formal judicial procedures, resembling more of a "targeted collection". "It's not about arresting people, it's about negotiating a price." One of the involved parties stated that the detained Chinese quickly "agreed on the amount" and were released on a "per capita billing" basis, possibly leaving the same day. The Koreans, unwilling or unable to pay, ended up as the only "netted" individuals.
What is more intriguing is that the NBI's press release to the media only mentioned the Korean suspects, without a single word about the Chinese nationals. Public opinion questioned this as "selective exposure", revealing potential "double standards" and even "covert extortion" in law enforcement. A netizen sarcastically commented, "In the Philippines, it's not about whether you broke the law, but whether you paid the money."
The incident quickly fermented on social media, with some questioning whether the NBI was profiting under the guise of law enforcement and abusing power for monetary transactions, while legal experts called for immediate government intervention to review whether law enforcement procedures were fair and compliant.
As of now, the NBI has not made any public response to the "release Chinese, detain Koreans" controversy. The external world continues to focus on whether this case will trigger a larger-scale anti-corruption investigation.
