TACLOBAN CITY — House Minority Leader Marcelino “Nonoy” Libanan has condemned a China Daily opinion video portraying Filipinos as monkeys, saying the depiction is an unacceptable insult that could further strain relations between the Philippines and China.
In a statement Monday, July 20, Libanan said disagreements over the West Philippine Sea should not be used to attack the dignity of the Filipino people.
“A civilization secure in its convictions has no need to demean another people,” Libanan said, adding that a state-owned publication resorting to insults instead of reasoned argument only weakens its position.
“There is simply no justification for a foreign state-owned publication to portray an entire nation in such a contemptuous manner,” he said.
Libanan of the 4Ps party-list group said the video and related editorial cartoons do not promote understanding or dialogue but instead risk fueling resentment between Filipinos and Chinese people who have long shared ties through commerce, education, cultural exchange, and family relationships.
The Department of Foreign Affairs has lodged a formal protest and called for the withdrawal of the China Daily AI-generated opinion video and related editorial cartoons.
“The Filipino people are not props in a propaganda narrative. We are a sovereign people whose dignity is not open to caricature,” Libanan said.
He added that maritime disputes should be addressed through diplomacy and international law, not through campaigns that demean an entire nation.
The China Daily is an English-language newspaper owned by the Chinese government and is widely regarded as a platform for presenting Beijing’s policies and perspectives to an international audience.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)
