HK Mag: Sorry for 'maid-country' remark on RP
MANILA, Philippines - Following calls from Manila for an apology, the Hong Kong based-magazine that ran a column demeaning the Philippines as a country of "slaves" has said sorry for the "politically incorrect column."
Asia City Publishing House, HK Magazine's publisher, with office at 301 Hollywood Centre, 233 Hollywood Road in Hong Kong, issued the statement three days after the controversial column came out.
"The publisher and editors of HK Magazine wish to apologize unreservedly for any offense that may have been caused by Chip Tsao’s column dated March 27," the statement read.
"HK Magazine has long championed the rights of Filipinos working in Hong Kong. We note that Filipinos have often been unfairly treated in Hong Kong, and that they make an important contribution to this community," it added.
Despite admitting that Tsao’s column was offensive, the publishing company defended that the column was satirical and could be read “in different ways."
“One aspect of satire is that it can be read in different ways. In this particular case, many people have read meanings into this column that were never actually intended."
Deputy Consul General Kira Danganan earlier demanded an apology from Tsao who had insulted more than 127,000 Filipinos working in Hong Kong as domestic helpers.
“While Mr. Tsao may have intended his column to be a piece of satire, he has miserably miscalculated in this endeavor," Danganan said in a statement on Monday. “Mr. Tsao and Asia Publishing owe the Filipino community in HK a formal apology for the grave disrespect they have shown."
Tsao wrote in his March 27 column for the HK Magazine that the Philippines has no right to lord over the disputed Spratly Islands because it is "a nation of servants" who shouldn’t “ flex your muscles at your master, from whom you earn most of your bread and butter."
China has a long-standing claim over the islands which lie at the South China Sea. - with Mark Joseph Ubalde, GMANews.TV
Asia City Publishing House, HK Magazine's publisher, with office at 301 Hollywood Centre, 233 Hollywood Road in Hong Kong, issued the statement three days after the controversial column came out.
"The publisher and editors of HK Magazine wish to apologize unreservedly for any offense that may have been caused by Chip Tsao’s column dated March 27," the statement read.
"HK Magazine has long championed the rights of Filipinos working in Hong Kong. We note that Filipinos have often been unfairly treated in Hong Kong, and that they make an important contribution to this community," it added.
Despite admitting that Tsao’s column was offensive, the publishing company defended that the column was satirical and could be read “in different ways."
“One aspect of satire is that it can be read in different ways. In this particular case, many people have read meanings into this column that were never actually intended."
Deputy Consul General Kira Danganan earlier demanded an apology from Tsao who had insulted more than 127,000 Filipinos working in Hong Kong as domestic helpers.
“While Mr. Tsao may have intended his column to be a piece of satire, he has miserably miscalculated in this endeavor," Danganan said in a statement on Monday. “Mr. Tsao and Asia Publishing owe the Filipino community in HK a formal apology for the grave disrespect they have shown."
Tsao wrote in his March 27 column for the HK Magazine that the Philippines has no right to lord over the disputed Spratly Islands because it is "a nation of servants" who shouldn’t “ flex your muscles at your master, from whom you earn most of your bread and butter."
China has a long-standing claim over the islands which lie at the South China Sea. - with Mark Joseph Ubalde, GMANews.TV
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