Chinese embassy demands answers after death of Chinese under custody

MANILA -- The Chinese embassy in the Philippines on Thursday lodged stern representations after a Chinese citizen detained at a Philippine Bureau of Immigration detention facility pending repatriation died on Tuesday, calling the incident shocking and heart-wrenching.

The Chinese embassy said it had previously alerted the detention facility that the Chinese citizen suffered from severe underlying illnesses and faced substantial health-related risks. It requested the facility to closely monitor the person's physical well-being and promptly provide necessary medical treatment.

The embassy demanded that Philippine authorities launch an investigation into the incident immediately, ascertain the full facts, and issue a briefing. It demanded that any misconduct found in the probe be met with severe accountability.

The embassy said the Philippine side should guarantee necessary medical care and humane treatment for detainees, and resolutely prevent similar tragedies from recurring.