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OPINIONS
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(October
6– October 12, 2008) Outrage against the demeaning portrayal of Filipina
migrant workers (The following is a
privilege speech delivered by Sen. Loren Legarda on
October 8—Ed) My
dear colleagues in the Senate of the
noble Filipino race: Filipinos have once again been a target of
discrimination in the foreign media— this time from “Harry and Paul,” a
program aired by the British Broadcasting Company or BBC last September 26.
In the skit entitled “Mating with the Filipino maid,” a mailman approached
Paul who was shouting at Harry who is sitting on a chair on the lawn. Dancing
around and beside Harry was a young woman, with haphazard hair, wearing a
maid’s uniform. Paul told the
mailman that he was getting his Filipino maid to mate with Harry. He kept on shouting at the Filipino maid
for the maid to do her job and get the other man to mate with her. He ordered
her: “Hump him!” “Show him your rear!” All the Filipina maid’s efforts were
to no avail and the first man reprimanded her and yelled at her to get out.
Finally, the Filipina maid, grumbling, walked away and the mailman joined
her. The actors and
producers of the show, including BBC itself, just showed the world their ugly
rear. There is a
substantial Filipino population in the Of course, like the
British, Filipinos are firm believers of the freedom of speech. We give value
even to speech that is abominable. We enshrined in our own Constitution the
democratic ideal of marketplace of ideas where people from diverse
backgrounds are able to criticize and be criticized. But we owe it to our
race, the race of Rizal, of Bonifacio,
of Mabini, of Ninoy, and
of the modern-day heroes, the hard-working Overseas Filipino workers, that we
condemn their victimization. The victimization of the Filipino people. There
is just so much insult the sensibilities of the noble Filipino race can take.
I should say I am outraged! And quite rightly I think. To be sensitive
towards the identity and nationality of those we verbally attack, mock, or
vilified is an ideal rooted in peaceful coexistence. This involves respect
for people with different identity. To date, BBC has not
yet apologized. So much for the swiftness of the BBC in delivering news.
Maybe they think they did nothing wrong. But when a nation felt insulted,
isn’t that enough reason to ask for forgiveness? There was the
desperate attack by the Desperate Housewives on our medical practitioners
abroad. And now this BBC’s rear of mockery. We must condemn these assaults
with resounding assertion of our dignity lest this become commonplace. Our inability to
defend the honor of the Filipinos, particularly those exiled abroad as
overseas Filipino workers will only strengthen this pattern, this trend and
may even give the impression to the world that these insults are true.
Overseas Filipino workers are dispersed and constitute a minority in almost
all parts of the world. Hundreds, if not thousands, of Filipinos and
Filipinas are being physically, sexually, and psychologically assaulted in
their places of employment abroad. Filipinos abroad are
vulnerable. We must act to protect their dignity. I have proposed
Senate Resolution No. 708 expressing the sense of the Senate condemning in
strongest terms the demeaning portrayal of Filipina migrant workers in the
BBC comedy program which has tarnished the image of Filipinos abroad. I point to the issue
of comity and solidarity which a great country such as the Ilocos
Times copyright 2008 |
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