Sixteen of 35 Chinese citizens who were detained by the Philippine Bureau of Immigration in Manila on Tuesday are expected to be released as of Wednesday afternoon, the Chinese embassy in the Philippines told China Daily.

Zhang Hua, the spokesman for the Chinese embassy, said the 16 Chinese citizens have been confirmed to have all the required documents to be in the Philippines.

The embassy will continue to follow the development of this case, and provide the captive Chinese nationals with proper consular protection and services, Zhang said, adding that the embassy reminds Chinese citizens in the country to abide by local laws and regulations, so as to avoid risks to their safety, rights and interests.

The Chinese were arrested by the Philippine Bureau of Immigration on Tuesday afternoon in a shopping mall in Manila. In the course of investigation, three were confirmed as Chinese-Filipinos and released the same day.

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