Senator slams HK writer for 'nation of servants' remark

MANILA, Philippines –Sen. Pia S. Cayetano has joined calls to demand a public apology from a top Hong Kong publication and one of its columnists over an opinion article that called the Philippines "a nation of servants."

The opinion piece – "The War At Home" by Chip Tsao – appeared in the March 27 edition of the widely-circulated HK Magazine.

The column depicts the Philippines as a "nation of servants" not worthy of claiming the Spratlys from China, as the latter employs hundreds of thousands of Filipino domestic helpers on very low wages.

"Instead of contributing to intelligent discussions on ways to resolve the Spratlys dispute, Tsao only succeeded in eliciting hatred and sowing more confusion not only among Filipinos but maybe even among his fellow Chinese who are not aware of the intricacies of the issue," Cayetano said.

Cayetano, chair of the Senate Committee on Social Justice, said Filipinos deserved no less than a formal public apology from Tsao and HK Magazine.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Cayetano said:

"Let’s not dignify Tsao’s views by not stooping down to his level. We shouldn’t allow ourselves to be bullied by people with narrow minds like him. HK Magazine and Tsao must apologize for insulting Filipinos, and they should pledge not to commit this mistake again.

"Our being a poor nation does not diminish the validity of our historical and legal claim to the Spratlys. In the proper forum, this dispute will eventually be threshed out and resolved. Ignorance, hatred and racial bias are the last things we need in approaching this long-standing controversy.

"Our claim to the Spratlys is as valid as the other claims being pushed by other nations. It does not mean that we’re disregarding the claims of others. We respect their claim inasmuch as they should acknowledge ours."

Cayetano added that Tsao's Filipino househelper should not worry about the writer's threat to fire her if she would not say in public that the Spratly Islands belong to China.

"I’ll personally appeal on my Filipino and foreigner friends based in Hong Kong to hire her," Cayetano said. "I’m sure there are many more enlightened minds out there willing to take her in. Filipino domestic helpers are very much in demand in Hong Kong precisely because of their efficiency and positive ethic at work." - D'Jay Lazaro, GMANews.TV

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