The Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs on July 16 condemned a China Daily video depicting Filipinos as monkeys and demanded its removal.
The Department of Foreign Affairs issued the statement late Thursday, July 16, calling the AI-generated video posted on July 10 “demeaning, dehumanizing, and racist.” It said the video showed a monkey in traditional Filipino attire being handled by arms labeled “USA” and “Japan,” then hit by water cannons.
The DFA stated that disagreement over the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award does not justify such imagery. It demanded the material be taken down and urged China to uphold dignity and respect in public discourse.
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. separately condemned the video as revealing the Chinese Communist Party’s view of Filipinos. He said it exposed “moral and intellectual bankruptcy” and justified Manila’s policy of no ministerial or defense engagements with the CCP.
