Defense Secretary Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro Jr. has blasted a social media post by the state-run China Daily that depicted Filipinos as monkeys, labeling it as racist propaganda that highlights Beijing’s failure to legally validate its territorial assertions in the West Philippine Sea.
In a July 16 press release, Teodoro remarked that the uploaded material unmasks “what the Chinese communist apparatus thinks of the Filipino people” and slammed the outlet for mocking the 2016 arbitral decision, which invalidated China’s sweeping claims across the South China Sea.
“This mockery of the lawful 2016 Arbitral Award and the video’s glorification of violence against the Filipino people and soldiers expose the moral and intellectual bankruptcy of China’s propaganda machine,” Teodoro said.
He labeled the content as “contemptible propaganda” that falls far short of the behavior expected from a nation striving to be viewed as a responsible regional leader.
Teodoro further noted that the publication reveals “the weakness of a government that resorts to racism, threats, and manufactured hatred because it has utterly failed to defend its ridiculous claims through reason, evidence, or law.”
The defense chief also reaffirmed Manila’s choice to halt all ministerial-level meetings and military exchanges between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Chinese Communist Party alongside its affiliated bodies, pointing to a persistent pattern of aggressive behavior.
Teodoro maintained that the offensive depiction represents China’s “dehumanization” of Filipino citizens and demonstrates that Beijing is “neither a secure and confident actor nor a trustworthy neighbor.”
He closed his statement by cautioning the public to stay vigilant against deceptive narratives amidst the ongoing maritime disputes in the West Philippine Sea.
In a separate move, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) forcefully rebuked the AI-generated video and accompanying editorial cartoons broadcasted by China Daily to mark the 10th anniversary of the landmark 2016 ruling, calling the media campaign “demeaning, dehumanizing, and racist.”
Issuing its official statement late on July 16, the DFA specifically targeted a clip uploaded to the media outlet’s Facebook page on July 10.
Released just ahead of the July 12 anniversary of the historic legal decision, the animated clip showcased a monkey clad in a barong Tagalog and a salakot to represent the Philippines.
The figure was shown being manipulated by characters representing Japan and the United States, before ultimately being blasted by a water cannon while clutching a copy of the arbitral ruling.
“The Department of Foreign Affairs strongly condemns China Daily’s publication of AI-generated videos and editorial cartoons concerning the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award, including the video posted on its Facebook account on 10 July 2026,” the DFA said.
The department emphasized that these “demeaning, dehumanizing, and racist depictions of Filipinos” only serve to widen the trust deficit between Manila and Beijing.
“The Philippines has consistently rejected false narratives and distortions regarding the Arbitral Award and the Philippines’ lawful positions in the South China Sea,” the DFA said.
“But we draw a firm line at the depiction of Filipinos as monkeys in the 10 July 2026 video, which is deeply offensive, distressing, and unacceptable,” it added.
The foreign affairs agency stressed that political and legal disagreements never warrant derogatory depictions, adding that such characterizations have “no place in the civil public discourse of a responsible state.”
Consequently, the DFA demanded that Chinese officials delete the AI-generated media and editorial cartoons and halt the production of similar material moving forward.
“The Philippines demands that the offensive material be taken down, calls for the immediate cessation of such irresponsible content, and urges China to uphold dignity, respect, and truth in public discourse,” the DFA said.
Issued on July 12, 2016, by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, the landmark legal ruling dismantled Beijing’s expansive claims over the South China Sea outlined by its nine-dash line.
Though Beijing refuses to accept the international court’s judgment, Manila continuously uses the ruling as its primary legal framework to protect its sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea.