Marcos pushes back vs racism

MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos called out racist attacks by a “neighbor” in his State of the Nation Address, some two weeks after an artificial intelligence (AI) video from China depicting Filipinos as monkeys.

The President devoted a good part of his penultimate address to that matter, calling it “a collective threat that lies before the country, directed against Filipinos’ dignity and self-respect.”

“Of late, our very humanity has been called into question. Let me remind our friends and our detractors: Filipinos are a noble, kind, gracious, and great race. We are not greedy. We are not racists. We are not liars,” the President said.

READ: DFA demands removal of China Daily video depicting Filipinos as monkeys

“We are respectful, and we are dignified. We are Filipinos, and we do not yield,” he added.

2016 arbitral ruling

Marcos made no specific mention of the July 10 AI video posted by Beijing’s state-run news website China Daily, which appeared before the 10th anniversary of the July 12 arbitral ruling upholding the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) over the West Philippine Sea.

But the President referred to that 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) which also invalidated Beijing’s sweeping maritime claims over the South China Sea, including Manila’s EEZ.

READ: Tarriela to senators: Demand China apology over ‘monkey’ video

“Just recently, we celebrated the tenth anniversary of the final and binding 2016 Arbitral Award, which stands as a definite benchmark for the interpretation and application of the Unclos (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea),” Marcos said, referring to the 1994 international treaty which is the basis of the PCA ruling.

“Your government will do all that is necessary to continue upholding this Award, utilizing every peaceful and legal means available to the Republic against any attempt, foreign or domestic, to undermine this achievement,” the President said.

“We give honor to our Armed Forces, the Coast Guard, and even our fisherfolk, who all continue to patrol and ply our seas, in the face of great risks,” Marcos also said, apparently in reference to the China Coast Guard’s July 20 assault on Philippine Navy personnel patrolling Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal. /cb