Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Rear Adm.Jay Tarriela challenged senators Alan Peter Cayetano and Robin Padilla to demand an apology from China over a state-run media video that depicted Filipinos as monkeys.

The video, released by China Daily, mocked the Philippines' 2016 South China Sea arbitral award and portrayed Filipinos as 'stupid monkeys' dressed in traditional attire, singing karaoke, and blindly following the US and Japan.

Tarriela emphasized that the video constituted a racist attack, contrasting it with his previous academic caricature of Chinese President Xi Jinping, which he defended as satire.

He argued that the China Daily video undermined the Philippines' strategic agency and called for unity against what he described as racist propaganda.The DFA and DND had also condemned the video, urging its removal.Tarriela questioned why the Chinese embassy had not responded to the controversy, noting that the video fueled patriotism among Filipinos.

The article highlights the ongoing tensions between the Philippines and China over territorial disputes and the use of state media to assert narratives.