Rowegie Abanto

Chinese flags wave with Philippine flags along Roxas Boulevard in Manila on November 19, 2018. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/File

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ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/178426382710117711339610181754626300708174931969548420181119-chinese-flag-xi-jinping-state-visit-MD-8757.webp" style="width:960px;display:block;height:auto" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Chinese flags wave with Philippine flags along Roxas Boulevard in Manila on November 19, 2018. <em>Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/File</em></span></span></span></div><p style="text-align:left">MANILA — Philippine officials on Friday condemned an AI-generated video released by China Daily, a Beijing-controlled outlet, in which it depicted the Philippines as a &quot;ragged monkey.&quot;</p><p style="text-align:left">The clip showed the monkey wearing a Philippine salakot being controlled by the United States and Japan to push the international arbitration ruling in the South China Sea.</p><p>&quot;Freedom of expression, even in political disputes, is not a license to dehumanize people. Racism has no space in any society that values truth and civility,&quot; Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian said in a statement.</p><p>Gatchalian urged an &quot;intelligent, respectful dialogue between all parties&quot; and called on the media and other institutions to observe &quot;greater circumspection&quot; and to refrain from producing or distributing such materials in the future.</p><p>&quot;Disagreements between nations should sharpen our reasoning, not our prejudices. We call on all sides to be more circumspect, and to choose dialogue over derision,&quot; he said, noting that the press &quot;carry a social responsibility to uphold truth and civility in public discourse.&quot;</p><p>&quot;Kinukundena natin ang pang-aabuso at pangungutya sa dignidad ng mga Pilipino. Malaki ang responsibilidad ng media sa paghubog ng pananaw ng mga bansa sa isa’t isa, at hindi ito dapat gamitin sa maling paraan.&quot;</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>&#x27;UNACCEPTABLE&#x27;</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Sen. Francis Pangilinan also condemned the video, saying it was &quot;insulting&quot; and &quot;unacceptable.&quot;</p><p>He said it was inappropriate for China Daily to release such a material, especially since it represents Beijing as a state-run media outlet.</p><p>&quot;Mas nakalulungkot pa na nanggaling ito sa China, isang umuusbong na pandaigdigang kapangyarihan sa ekonomiya at teknolohiya, gayong ang sarili nitong mamamayan ay nakaranas na rin ng diskriminasyon at racismo sa iba’t ibang panig ng mundo,&quot; Pangilinan said in a statement.</p><p>&quot;Sa halip na magtaguyod ng pag-unawa at paggalang, ang ganitong uri ng propaganda ay hindi lamang nang-iinsulto sa mga Pilipino, sumisira rin sa hangarin ng China na kilalanin bilang isang responsable at iginagalang na lider sa international community.&quot;</p><p>Pangilinan wanted China to order the media outlet to take down the material, issue an apology, and hold accountable the people who created and distributed the video.</p><p>&quot;Ang tunay na pamumuno sa daigdig ay nakabatay sa dignidad, paggalang sa kapwa, at pananagutan — hindi sa pagpapakalat ng mga racist stereotype na ipinapalabas bilang &#x27;impormasyon&#x27; o &#x27;komentaryo,&#x27;&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;Kung nais ng China na seryosohin bilang isang responsable at mapagkakatiwalaang pandaigdigang kapangyarihan, dapat magsimula ito sa pagtiyak na ang sarili nitong state media ay kumikilos nang may respeto at pananagutan, at hindi kabaligtaran.&quot;</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>TARRIELA: CHINA IS &#x27;LOSING&#x27; NARRATIVE BATTLE</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Rear Admiral Jay Tarriela, Philippine Coast Guard spokesman for the West Philippine Sea, meanwhile said that Filipinos &quot;don&#x27;t deserve to be called stupid monkeys by China.&quot;</p><p>&quot;This kind of very low offensive against the arbitral award shows China is very desperate to attack the 2016 arbitral award and our rights in the West Philippine Sea,&quot; he said.</p><p>He said the release of the video meant China is &quot;losing the battle of the narrative.&quot;</p><p>&quot;The Filipino people know what is happening.&quot;</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>OTHER NEWS:</strong><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ba_CjIWFg9Q?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></strong></div><div> </div>

<p>Philippine officials on Friday condemned an AI-generated video released by China Daily, a Beijing-controlled outlet, in which it depicted the Philippines as a "ragged monkey."</p>

Philippine officials on Friday condemned an AI-generated video released by China Daily, a Beijing-controlled outlet, in which it depicted the Philippines as a "ragged monkey."

PH officials condemn Chinese state media video: 'Racism has no space in society'

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PH officials condemn Chinese state media video: 'Racism has no space in society'

Rowegie Abanto,

ABS-CBN News

Published July 17, 2026 01:16 PM PHT

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China Daily

South China Sea

West Philippine Sea

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