Manila: President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has expressed his support for the government's condemnation of an artificial intelligence (AI)-generated video by Chinese state-run media that depicts Filipinos as monkeys, according to Malaca±ang. Palace Press Officer Claire Castro announced during a Palace briefing that the President has viewed the controversial video and received briefings from Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro and Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr.

According to Philippines News Agency, Castro stated that the depiction is unacceptable to any Filipino, emphasizing that no Filipino would accept such an offensive portrayal of their people. When questioned about Senator Risa Hontiveros's call for Malaca±ang to summon the Chinese ambassador, Castro mentioned that the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is already addressing the issue.

The controversy originated from an AI-generated video and editorial cartoons published by China Daily concerning the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award, portraying Filipinos as monkeys. The DFA has condemned the material as "blatantly demeaning, dehumanizing, and racist," asserting that political disagreements do not justify such offensive imagery and demanding that the content be removed.

Defense Secretary Teodoro has previously remarked that the video reflects the Chinese Communist Party's perspective of Filipinos and exposes its "moral and intellectual bankruptcy." He further stated that the incident has reinforced the government's decision to suspend ministerial-level and Armed Forces of the Philippines engagements with the Chinese Communist Party and its agencies.

Several lawmakers have also condemned the AI-generated material, renewing calls for an independent foreign policy amid ongoing tensions in the South China Sea.