Photo: screenshot of the official WeChat account of Chinese Embassy in the Philippines

A Chinese citizen died on Tuesday while being held at a detention facility of the Philippine Bureau of Immigration pending deportation, the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines said on Thursday evening on its official WeChat account. The embassy said it was deeply shocked and saddened by the death and had immediately lodged solemn representations with the Philippine side.

The embassy stressed that it had previously informed the detention facility that the Chinese citizen suffered from serious underlying medical conditions and faced significant health risks. It had explicitly urged the facility to closely monitor the person's health and provide necessary medical treatment in a timely manner.

The embassy has demanded that the Philippine side immediately conduct a comprehensive and impartial investigation, establish the facts as soon as possible and provide the embassy with a full and objective account. Any negligence or dereliction of duty uncovered by the investigation must be seriously dealt with and those responsible held accountable, it said.

"The right to life is the most fundamental human right," the embassy said, stressing that regardless of a person's status or whether they are in detention, their life and basic humanitarian rights must be protected.

China urged the Philippine side to immediately take effective measures to ensure that detainees receive necessary medical care and humanitarian treatment and to prevent similar tragedies from happening again. 

Global Times