RP envoy wants apology over HK columnist’s racist remark

MANILA, Philippines - The Filipino community in Hong Kong deserves an apology from Chinese journalist Chip Tsao who called the Philippines a country of slaves and threatened to fire her Filipina maid should the Spratlys be taken over by the Philippines.

Deputy Consul General Kira Danganan said Tsao has to say sorry to more than 127,000 Filipinos working in Hong Kong as domestic helpers who were insulted by his racial slur.

“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.

“It is unfortunate that such an article could be published in a city that prides itself as a progressive society, that has achieved milestones in multicultural harmony, and whose very character is defined by the presence of people from all corners of the globe," Danganan said.

Labor Secretary Marianito Roque had earlier cautioned Tsao to be careful with his words especially since Hong Kong depends on Filipino maids to keep their economy going.

“What if in one day our 133,000 Filipino workers in Hong Kong decide not to work? Let’s see if their economy won’t stall," Roque told reporters in Filipino.

“Their finance manager might not come to work just to take his kid to school," Roque added.

Despite Tsao’s harsh statements, Danganan is relieved that the columnist’s view of Filipinos is not shared by the rest of Hong Kong.

“Fortunately, their views are not shared by the larger society in Hong Kong…the long-standing friendship and mutual respect being enjoyed by the Filipino community in HK society will remain," she said. - GMANews.TV

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