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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Abalos: Filipinos deserve dignity, respect amid China Daily row

Abalos: Filipinos deserve dignity, respect amid China Daily row

Published Jul 19, 2026 07:51 am

At A Glance

  • Cabinet Secretary Benhur Abalos said Filipinos deserve to be treated with dignity and respect amid the controversy over China Daily's racist depiction of Filipinos.
  • Abalos joined the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in condemning the Chinese state-owned media outlet's AI-generated videos and editorial cartoons, saying racism has no place in responsible public discourse.
  • His statement came after the DFA formally protested the offensive materials and demanded their immediate removal.
Cabinet Secretary Benhur Abalos (File)
Cabinet Secretary Benhur Abalos (File)

Cabinet Secretary Benhur Abalos said Filipinos deserve to be treated with dignity and respect as he joined the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in condemning China Daily's publication of AI-generated videos and editorial cartoons depicting Filipinos in a racist and dehumanizing manner.

In a statement, Abalos said he took "deep offense" at the offensive portrayals, stressing that they had no place in relations between nations.

"As a Filipino, I take deep offense at any attempt to belittle our people through offensive and degrading imagery. There is no place for racism or the dehumanization of any nation or people, especially in responsible public discourse," he said.

"The Filipino people deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. We stand firmly with the Department of Foreign Affairs in rejecting these offensive portrayals and in defending the honor, dignity, and rights of every Filipino," he added.

Backs DFA protest

Abalos said he fully supports the DFA's condemnation of China Daily over its publication of videos and editorial cartoons linked to the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award.

"We join the Department of Foreign Affairs in strongly condemning the publication by China Daily of AI-generated videos and editorial cartoons that portray Filipinos in a racist and dehumanizing manner," he said.

His statement came a day after the DFA formally protested the publication, saying Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Leo Herrera-Lim raised the issue directly with Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan and demanded the immediate removal of the offensive materials.

The DFA also lodged a diplomatic protest and said the Philippine Embassy in Beijing had sent a formal letter to China Daily's editor-in-chief reiterating Manila's demand for the immediate takedown of the videos and cartoons.

Respect among nations

Abalos stressed that mutual respect should remain the foundation of relations between countries regardless of political disagreements.

"Respect among nations begins with respect for one another's humanity," he said.

The controversy stemmed from a China Daily video posted on July 10 showing a monkey dressed in a barong Tagalog and salakot while mocking the Philippines' 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award, which invalidated China's sweeping maritime claims in the West Philippine Sea.

The video has drawn widespread condemnation from Philippine officials, including Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., who described it as racist propaganda that exposed the "moral and intellectual bankruptcy of China's propaganda machine," while Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, Rear Admiral Jay Tarriela, declared that "Filipinos are not monkeys."

The DFA has maintained that while the Philippines remains committed to dialogue and diplomacy in its engagement with China, it "will not hesitate to call out discriminatory and offensive rhetoric wherever it appears."

Related Tags

Benhur Abalos Cabinet Secretary China Daily DFA PH-China South China Sea West Philippine Sea
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