Malacanang said on Monday special envoy to China Ramon Tulfo was just exercising his freedom of expression when he claimed that more Chinese have been coming to the country because they were better workers than the Filipinos.

In a press briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo explained that from his understanding, Tulfo was just echoing the statement of the developers that Chinese are better workers.

"Well, that is freedom of expression, everyone is entitled to make his opinion on any matter concerning the country or the people or anybody," he said.

But later pressed if Malacanang shares Tulfo's view or should he apologize for making such statement, Panelo said, "It's not his personal opinion, it's the opinion of the developers who take these Chinese workers over them or they prefer them."

Asked if Tulfo should apologize, he said, "That's a call of special envoy Ramon Tulfo, and he said he will not."

However, Panelo said generally, Filipinos are good and industrious why many employers abroad prefer them as their workers.

Labor groups have demanded Tulfo to apologize for his supposed insult to the OFWs.

At the same time, Panelo justified why President Rodrigo Duterte has appointed several special envoys to China.

"China is big. There are lots of concerns," he said.

Aside from Tulfo, there are at least four more special envoys of Duterte to China. Celerina Monte/DMS