Jonathan Frederic De Santos

Article (news)

Bianca Dava, ABS-CBN News

Eon Sanchez

ABS-CBN News

MANILA — Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Rear Adm. Jay Tarriela on Sunday said Sen. Robin Padilla is taking aim at the wrong targets after the lawmaker blamed him for a state-owned China Daily video that used a monkey to represent the Philippines.Padilla had issued a statement in Filipino condemning the video and another in English on Saturday saying it was Tarriela &quot;who drew first blood&quot; in simmering tensions with China over the West Philippine Sea.Padilla also reminded Chinese media that all Asians are &quot;monkeys&quot; to the West, saying &quot;demeaning caricatures [have been] used in wartime propaganda across the world including the Philippines, China and Japan.Tarriela responded: “Hindi po tayo unggoy at hindi po ako ang kalaban dito dahil pareho po tayong Pilipino.”(We are not monkeys and I am not your enemy here because we are both Filipinos.)<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/18/padilla-hits-back-at-tarriela-over-china-s-ai-video-1734">Padilla blasts Tarriela over China&#x27;s offensive video </a></div>He added that the video was made by China and not &quot;the whites&quot; that Padilla referenced in his statement.“Ang dapat nating kondenahin ay ang China, dahil ang China ang gumawa at nagpakalat ng racist na video na ito,” (We should be condemning China because China made and spread that racist video.)<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17844185727421784418570773.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>A screenshot of the China Daily video depicting the Philippines as a &quot;monkey&quot;. </div>Tarriela also rejected Padilla’s assertion that his previous use of a caricature Chinese President Xi Jinping at a university lecture led to the controversy, a move that the senator said &quot;[escalated] into wartime propaganda.&quot;Tarriela said the use of the caricature was not meant for propaganda.“Hindi ito sinadyang mailathala, ginawa ito sa loob ng isang unibersidad, at ito ay satire,” he said.(It was not meant for publication. It was done at a university and was meant as satire.)<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/17/ph-officials-condemn-chinese-state-media-video-racism-has-no-space-in-society-1316">DFA formally protests China Daily&#x27;s &#x27;racist&#x27; depiction of Filipinos in AI propaganda video </a></div>Padilla said his office &quot;condemned the AI video of the Chinese media, but to my surprise, you aimed water cannons at us and splattered us with your saliva instead of using them against the China Coast Guard.&quot;Padilla also accused Tarriela, who has been vocal about Chinese activities in Philippine waters, of &quot;barking at us when you can’t even face your adversary point-blank.&quot;Tarriela denied attacking Padilla, adding the senator mentioned his name first.<div><a href="http://What do they mean when they talk about ‘Pro-China’ candidates?">What do they mean when they talk about ‘Pro-China’ candidates? </a></div>The exchange stemmed from public outrage over an AI-generated video posted by Chinese state-controlled media outlet China Daily depicting Filipinos as monkeys while criticizing Philippine actions in the West Philippine Sea.The Department of Foreign affairs and <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/18/more-officials-condemn-china-daily-s-racist-depiction-of-pinoys-in-ai-video-1322">several Philippine officials</a> have condemned the video, calling it racist and unacceptable.

Padilla had issued a statement in Filipino condemning the video and another in English on Saturday saying it was Tarriela "who drew first blood" in simmering tensions with China over the West Philippine Sea.

Padilla had issued a statement in Filipino condemning the video and another in English on Saturday saying it was Tarriela "who drew first blood" in simmering tensions with China over the West Philippine Sea.

Tarriela says Padilla’s new comments on China Daily ‘monkey’ video misdirected

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Tarriela says Padilla’s new comments on China Daily ‘monkey’ video misdirected

Eon Sanchez,

ABS-CBN News

Published July 19, 2026 07:53 AM PHT

Read More:

Jay Tarriela

Robin Padilla

West Philippine Sea

South China Sea

China Daily

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