MANILA, Philippines — The National Maritime Council (NMC) on Friday said a racist video published by Chinese state-run outlet China Daily would not alter the Philippines’ legal rights in the West Philippine Sea.
“The Philippines’ position on its maritime rights and entitlements in the West Philippine Sea remains clear, principled, and unwavering,” the NMC said in a statement.
The council said the Philippines’ maritime entitlements are anchored in the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the final and binding 2016 South China Sea arbitral award.
“These legal realities cannot be altered by propaganda, disinformation, or offensive portrayals,” it said.
The statement came amid mounting criticism from Philippine officials over an AI-generated China Daily video posted on July 10 that portrayed Filipinos as monkeys and mocked the Philippines’ victory in the 2016 South China Sea arbitral award.
The council also said the video was inconsistent with “the standards of responsible and ethical journalism.”
‘Diplomacy, dialogue’
The NMC said the Philippines has consistently pursued diplomacy and dialogue in dealing with maritime disputes, warning that ridicule only makes it more difficult to resolve differences.
“Attempts to substitute reasoned discourse with ridicule neither strengthen legal claims nor clarify issues,” it said. “Instead, they erode trust, inflame public sentiment, and undermine constructive engagement necessary for achieving peace and stability.”
Earlier, the Department of Foreign Affairs filed a formal diplomatic protest against China over the video and related editorial cartoons, demanding that the materials be taken down.
READ: DFA lodges protest over China video depicting Filipinos as monkeys
The Department of National Defense, the National Security Council and the Philippine Coast Guard also denounced the content as racist and offensive.
The NMC said it supports the positions taken by the DFA and DND and urged governments and state-affiliated institutions to avoid rhetoric that promotes “discrimination, prejudice, and hostility.”
It also called for dialogue based on “mutual respect, dignity, and the rule of law.”
China Daily and the Chinese Embassy in Manila had yet to publicly respond to the Philippines’ diplomatic protest and the statements issued by Philippine officials as of posting time.
Despite the latest row, the council said the Philippines would continue to pursue a peaceful and rules-based approach in asserting its maritime rights.
“The NMC reaffirms that the Philippines will continue to pursue peace with principle, exercise restraint with resolve, and meet provocation not with hostility, but with confidence grounded in law, truth, and the enduring values of the Filipino people,” it said. /jpv
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