Philippines formally protests China media’s racist video, cartoons
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines has condemned state-run China Daily’s release of “dehumanizing” and “racist” videos and editorial cartoons depicting Filipinos as monkeys in criticizing the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award.
Manila demanded that the video posted on China Daily’s Facebook account on July 10 be taken down. China Daily released the video two days before the 10th anniversary of the South China Sea ruling.
The video features a monkey dressed in Filipino attire – a barong Tagalog and a salakot – being directed by arms representing the United States and Japan on what to say.
The monkey was then blasted into the sea with a water cannon from a China Coast Guard ship.
“The Philippines demands that the offensive material be taken down, calls for the immediate cessation of such irresponsible content and urges China to uphold dignity, respect and truth in public discourse,” the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Thursday.
China Daily’s AI-generated videos and editorial cartoons criticized the arbitral ruling that invalidated China’s expansive claims in the South China Sea, including the video posted on its Facebook account.
“The Philippines has consistently rejected false narratives and distortions regarding the Arbitral Award and the Philippines’ lawful positions in the South China Sea. But we draw a firm line at the depiction of Filipinos as monkeys in the 10 July 2026 video, which is deeply offensive, distressing and unacceptable,” the DFA said.
Diplomatic protest
The DFA announced yesterday that it has formally protested China Daily’s racist depiction of Filipinos in a series of op-ed videos and editorial cartoons.
It noted that the Philippines first conveyed its objection to the offensive content when Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Leo Herrera-Lim raised the matter with Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan in a face-to-face meeting on July 16. The DFA said Herrera-Lim demanded that the material be taken down.
Following the verbal demand, the DFA has issued a formal diplomatic protest condemning the videos and cartoons, noting that China Daily went beyond legitimate political debate by resorting to demeaning and racist depictions of Filipinos.
The Philippine embassy in Beijing followed through with a formal letter to the editor-in-chief of China Daily, reiterating the demand for the immediate takedown of the offensive material.
Condemnation
In a statement, Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. lashed out at China yesterday for the racist video.
“The post of China Daily depicting the Filipinos as monkeys is a revealing insight into what the Chinese communist apparatus thinks of the Filipino people,” Teodoro said.
“It reveals the weakness of a government that resorts to racism, threats and manufactured hatred because it has utterly failed to defend its ridiculous claims through reason, evidence or law,” he noted.
The National Security Council (NSC) yesterday joined the Department of National Defense and the DFA in condemning the insulting video.
National Security Adviser Eduardo Oban Jr. said the NSC “condemns in the strongest terms the AI-generated video released by Chinese state media portraying the Filipino people through racist and dehumanizing imagery while promoting false narratives on the West Philippine Sea.”
Tarriela: My video was satire
For his part, Philippine Coast Guard spokesman for the West Philippine Sea Rear Admiral Jay Tarriela said that the video released by Chinese state media is “misplaced behavior” that has no place in society.
In an interview with “Storycon” on One News yesterday, Tarriela differentiated the cartoon of Chinese President Xi Jinping that he shared during a forum earlier this year with the video posted by China Daily.
“The one that I used was a satire… there’s no racist content on the slide that I used,” he said. “Obviously, this is a racist content. This is not just a satire… Racism has no place in society in this day and age.”
“The mere fact that they did not hesitate to use a racist video to humiliate our people shows just how low China is willing to go in its interaction with the international community,” Tarriela said.
He slammed Sen. Robinhood Padilla for posting that the PCG spokesman had “drawn first blood” because of Xi’s cartoon, and wondered why the senator was not demanding an apology from the Chinese for depicting all Filipinos as monkeys.
Lawmakers react
Lawmakers in both houses of Congress also condemned the video.
Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian said freedom of expression should never be used to justify racism or the dehumanization of any people.
Padilla said political discourse and freedom of expression should never serve as an excuse for racism or attacks on the dignity of a nation.
Sen. Francis Pangilinan described the video as “openly racist” and “deeply offensive,” saying such content has no place in any media organization, particularly one owned by the government.
Senate majority leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said the video crossed the line.
In Congress, Mamamayang Liberal party-list Rep. Leila de Lima said China Daily’s video simply shows that Beijing’s arrogance “knows no bounds” and reflects “the mindset of an entitled bully.”
Akbayan party-list Rep. Perci Cendaña raised concern that China is employing an “old and despicable slur” against Filipinos, and that this should dispel “any misplaced or naive view among some political quarters that the Chinese government only wishes to deal with us in good faith.” — Michael Punongbayan, Mark Ernest Villeza, Andrew Ronquillo, Janvic Mateo, Daphne Galvez
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