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MANILA, Philippines?If the British Broadcasting Corp. (BBC) is defiant over its discriminatory comedy skit against Filipina women, so is the Philippine government.
Malacañang said on Thursday it was not buying the company?s alibi that the controversial sketch was ?so far beyond the realms of reality as to be absurd?and in no way is intended to demean or upset any viewer.?
Press Secretary Jesus Dureza said the skit?which portrayed a British man urging a compatriot to ?mate? with a Filipino maid?clearly offended Filipino women in general.
?We should continue protesting. We should continue raising our howls,? he said in an interview with RMN radio.
Dureza said just because the BBC was standing firm on its position not to apologize for the offense did not mean the Philippines would already ?soften? its stance on the issue.
?We should continue our advocacy to protect the Filipinos from this slur,? he said in Filipino. ?Perhaps, to them, it meant nothing. But it?s a big deal to us because we were insulted, especially our women.?
Government action on racial slur has been relatively swift.
The matter was formally brought to public attention by Akbayan Representative Risa Hontiveros who described the sketch as a "racist attempt to satirize a scene of exploitation."
Last Tuesday, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo summoned British Ambassador Peter Beckingham to formally bring the matter to his government?s attention.
Prior to that, the Philippine embassy in London formally lodged a written complaint with the BBC. Copies of the complaint were also sent to UK media regulators and the mayor of London.
But the network has refused to apologize, claiming the absence of malice in the skit.
A spokesperson for the show?s producer described the skit titled ?Harry and Paul? as an adult program that ?tackles many situations in a comedic way.?
In a letter to the BBC, Ambassador Edgardo Espiritu wrote: ?Not only did the show give a bad impression of Filipino women. It also portrayed British employees as perpetrators of exploitation of young women, vulgarity and immoral activities, using their employees, in this case, the domestic worker, as a sex toy.?
