Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. has brushed aside claims from Beijing that an artificial intelligence-generated video depicting Filipinos as monkeys lacked official backing, stating it is highly improbable that such media could be published without government authorization.
Through its foreign ministry, Beijing maintained that the offensive video was not an official government action and refused to comment further on the matter. Nevertheless, the ministry reiterated its long-standing rejection of the Philippines’ landmark 2016 arbitral victory concerning the South China Sea conflict.
Addressing reporters on Saturday following the Ilocano Dialogue on the West Philippine Sea held in Batac City, Ilocos Norte, Teodoro cast doubt on China’s defense and highlighted the direct involvement of the state-controlled media network China Daily.
“It’s a state-sponsored video. Mahirap paniwalaan yun… At walang lumalabas sa China na walang pahintulot ang gobyerno nila,” the defense chief told reporters after attending the Ilocano Dialogue on the West Philippine Sea in Batac City, Ilocos Norte province.
“Sa amin sa defense department, hindi [basta-basta] namin paniwalaan yan,” he said.
The controversial footage was uploaded by China Daily on July 10, timed alongside events marking the 10th anniversary of the historic arbitration ruling that favored Manila.
The video portrays a monkey dressed in a traditional barong being manipulated by figures representing Japan and the United States. The character is subsequently tossed into the ocean and blasted by a water cannon from a Chinese ship.
Teodoro, who had previously condemned the clip as racist, asserted that the imagery exposes the genuine attitude of Beijing’s leadership toward the Filipino people.
He further slammed the depiction of Filipinos as monkeys, the mockery of the legal arbitral award, and the glorification of attacks against Philippine nationals and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) personnel, calling them clear proof of the “moral and intellectual bankruptcy” driving Beijing’s propaganda.
According to the defense chief, this latest incident validates Manila’s ongoing strategy to reduce ministerial and defense engagements with the Chinese Communist Party and its affiliated bodies.