A clip of National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Jaime Santiago talking about filing cases and arresting Filipinos abroad is circulating online without proper context.
On April 7, a TikTok user uploaded a 14-second clip of the director supposedly announcing during a press forum that they will file cases and arrest overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). Santiago said:
‘”Yung mga nandito sa Pilipinas, arestuhin namin. ‘Yung mga nasa abroad, we will file case, hindi na sila makakauwi dito. Hindi sila makakadalaw sa pamilya nila. Pagdating pa lang sa NAIA, aarestuhin na namin sila (Those who are here in the Philippines, we will arrest them. Those who are abroad, we will file cases, they will not be able to come home here. They will not be able to visit their families. As soon as they arrive at NAIA, we will arrest them).”
The TikTok video also carried the text:
“PANANAKOT ANG BAGONG ADMINISTRATION NGAYON. OFW ANG MGA BAGONG BAYANI BAKIT NYO TINATAKOT? Bakit sayo o ba ang PILIPINAS? Bakit kayo ganyan sa mga nakakatulong sa ekonomiya ng bansa
(The new administration is threatening. OFWs are the new heroes. Why are you threatening them? Why? Is the Philippines yours? Why are you like that to those who contribute to the country’s economy?”)
This needs context. The statement was a warning against Filipinos who are spreading false information and not about arresting OFWs without a reason.
Read the full story on VERA Files Fact Check.