Manila - The Philippines protested to the British government on Tuesday for the alleged racial slur against Filipino housemaids in a television show aired by the British Broadcasting Corp in London. Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo summoned the British ambassador to the Philippines Peter Beckingham to protest the airing of a comedy show that portrayed Filipino housemaids as sex objects.
"Secretary Romulo has summoned the British ambassador," said Foreign Undersecretary Esteban Conejos. "The Philippine embassy in London is protesting the slur against our domestic workers in United Kingdom."
In the controversial comedy sketch aired last month on the "Harry and Paul" show, a postman approached comedian Harry Enfield, who was agitated and shouting at someone, and asked him what was going on.
Then the co-host of the show, Paul Whitehouse, was seen seated on a chair on his lawn while beside him was a gyrating young woman in a grey uniform and apron.
Harry told the postman that he was shouting at his Filipino maid to do her job and get his friend Paul to mate with her.
Harry kept ordering the girl to gyrate and dance in front of Paul and even urged her to "hump him." But Paul remained indifferent and went inside the house. The scene ended with the postman sidling up with the Filipino maid and whispering to her as they walked away.
Filipino workers in London have picketed the BBC office to express their disgust over the show.
"It was revolting. It was disgusting and insensitive and racist attempt to satirize a scene of exploitation," said Congresswoman Risa Hontiveros. "The show trivializes an act of abuse commonly experienced by Filipino workers abroad."
More than 8 million Filipinos are working abroad, many of them as domestic helpers, due to lack of employment opportunities in the country.
The government of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has been aggressively marketing Filipino labour abroad in a bid to boost the country's sagging economy and keep unemployment down.
