Press Release
March 31, 2009

Zubiri asks DFA to file formal diplomatic protest vs. HK's Chip Tsao

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri asked the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to send a formal diplomatic protest against Hong Kong columnist-broadcaster Chip Tsao.

"In the name of fellow Filipinos toiling abroad and dispensing with their jobs as best as they can, I ask the Department of Foreign Affairs to immediately send a formal diplomatic protest to that publication strongly urging them to apologize to the Filipino people for the derogatory remarks," Zubiri said.

The Majority Leader issued the statement following a racial slur Tsao had written in a column that went online on March 27, entitled "The War At Home."

"The 21st century should be an era of tolerance and diplomacy. Gone are the days that we threaten each other by military might. Globalization is the by-word, so, if this writer (Chip Tsao) feels that the OFWs of Hong Kong should all be kicked out then, there should be reciprocity by banning all Chinese-made products into the Philippines."

Tsao's column belittled the Philippine government's sovereignty over the so-called Kalayaan Island Group (KIG) within the disputed Spratly Islands. He said the issue is beyond reproach claiming "there are more than 130,000 Filipina maids working as $3,580-a-month cheap labor in Hong Kong. [And] as a nation of servants, you don't flex your muscles at your master, from whom you earn most of your bread and butter."

Philippine President Arroyo recently signed the Archipelagic Baselines Law to comply with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and reiterated its claims to nine islands of the KIG from among Spratly Islands chain of 100 - 230 islets, coral reefs and sea mounts. Claimant-states have occupied 44 of 51 islands and some have already developed 29 oil fields and 4 gas fields in the island chain.

Tsao also stated in his column that "if war breaks between the Philippines and China, I would have to end her employment and send her straight home, because I would not risk the crime of treason for sponsoring an enemy of the state by paying her to wash my toilet and clean my windows 16 hours a day."

The Chinese writer likewise threatened that Philippines "may have Barrack Obama and the hawkish American military behind them, but we have a hostage in each of our homes in the Mid-Levels or higher. Some of my friends told me they have already declared a state of emergency at home. Their maids have been made to shout 'China, Madam/Sir' loudly whenever they hear the word 'Spratly.' They say the indoctrination is working as wonderfully as when we used to shout, "Long live Chairman Mao!" at the sight of a portrait of our Great Leader during the Cultural Revolution. I'm not sure if that's going a bit too far, at least for the time being."

"How ironic that this writer from HK would ridicule the OFW working for him and all the other OFW's working for China in the Philippines. He should do his research and he might find that his ancestors were OCWs, as well," he said. The senator expressed immense dismay that in all his talks with the Filipino workers abroad he always used China as an example on how this mighty country was once the largest producer of overseas contract workers (OCWs).

Zubiri said Chinese "should be proud that instead of insulting Overseas Filipino Workers they should look into their past and see there is no shame being OFWs. They should not be giving derogatory remark (because) China's economy was built on the remittances of their OCWs from China Towns all over the world. So they should not shame Filipinos for their hard work and diligence in contributing to our economy. Today, a Filipina chef cooks for President Obama continuing her title as chef to Presidents Bush and Clinton. Also, Chelsea Clinton who is turning out to be a fine lady had a Filipina nanny."

"For the record, China was once the largest producer of overseas contract workers who built train stations in the United States and worked the mines of Central Asia and the country that established the most number of so-called China Town in the world."

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