HK scribe hit for calling RP ‘nation of servants’

MANILA, Philippines - A non-government organization providing assistance to migrant Filipino workers on Sunday scored a Hong Kong journalist for describing the Philippines as a “nation of servants" in his magazine column. Former Labor Undersecretary Susan Ople, head of the Blas F. Ople Policy Center, said Chip Tsao should be blacklisted as an “undesirable foreign employer" for allegedly using his Filipino house help as “pawn" in the Spratlys controversy. Ople alleged that Tsao mocked the Philippines as a “nation of servants" in his column called “The War At Home" that appeared in HK Magazine last March 27. Tsao reportedly warned his Filipino maid that she would lose her wages if she would not tell her fellow Filipinos that Spartly Islands belong to China. This, Ople said, “is already a sign of an unstable, irresponsible and racist employer who resorts to verbal abuse for perceived bilateral and historic infractions." Ople asked the Philippine Consulate, particularly its Office of the Labor Attache, to look into the work conditions of “Luisa," the Filipino household help, as she expressed personal concern for her safety and health. “Luisa deserves a sane and more humane employer while he [Tsao] deserves to clean up his own filth," Ople said. Tsao also allegedly said in his column that the Philippines’ claim on Spratlys was “reproachable," adding that “as a nation of servants, you don’t flex your muscles at your master, from whom you earn most of your bread and butter." China has protested the newly passed Philippine baselines law, saying it "has indisputable sovereignty" over the contested territories. It also said that the Philippines' claim to islands "is illegal and invalid." Ople also called the attention of the Philippine government to the last paragraph of Tsao’s column where he said that some of his friends “declared a state of emergency at home" wherein their Filipino maids were made to shout “China, Madam/Sir’ loudly" at the mention of the word Spratly. - GMANews.TV