By Hanah Tabios As the novel coronavirus (nCoV) spreads, some racist comments and troll posts flooded social media, prompting some Filipino-Chinese personalities in the country to make an appeal against anti-racial remarks. Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar
(ALBERT ALCAIN/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN) On Friday, the Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (FFCCCII) released a statement asking the public to stop sharing fake reports and racist remarks amid the ongoing global health scare. "Spreading fake news and racist, xenophobic messages can be more dangerous than the virus itself due to their negative effects of causing confusion, fears, rancor and instability,” FFCCCII President Dr. Henry Lim Bon Liong said. He said instead of spreading anti-Chinese remarks, people should appreciate the Chinese government for its openness. "Instead of racist attacks by some quarters, we should commend the China government’s transparency, for their remarkable political will, and their immense sacrifices of imposing a lockdown on Wuhan City and its neighbors which involve millions of people," Lim Bon Liong said. Members of the Filipino-Chinese community echoed the same sentiment. Entrepreneur and newspaper columnist Wilson Lee Flores pointed out that the recent health scare brought out some age-old negative stereotypes in the society which could be attributed to the Spanish colonial era. Ironically, he said, Filipino were also victims of discrimination by Spanish colonizers. Peace crusader and popular Chinese-Filipino figure Teresita Ang-See said in a television interview that she was saddened by the situation of divisiveness in connection with nCoV. But some social media users argued that some comments were not racist in nature nor a form of prejudice against foreign migrants. Rather, they said it was just an assertion of rights as enshrined in the Philippine Constitution, such as the freedom of speech. Prior to the government’s travel ban announcement, the Duterte administration received backlash for allegedly prioritizing diplomatic and political relations with China over the welfare of Filipinos. Some online conversations pointed out that a travel ban is not a manifestation of xenophobia but a measure to limit the influx of Chinese tourists in the country. But some social media users also called out some posts which were “blatantly racist” like the amended memorandum of Adamson University requiring Chinese students to undergo self-quarantine until Feb. 14 as one of its precautionary measures. Some also decried a social media post claiming that an elevator passenger sprayed disinfectant upon seeing a Chinese family on board. In Monday’s press briefing, Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar continued to urge the public to refrain from spreading fear and rumors. He said in these trying times, there is no room for discrimination. Rather, he insisted setting aside individual differences to overcome the global health emergency.