PH protests negative potrayal of its leader.
The Philippine government is strongly protesting the highly negative depiction of a character purported to be the Philippine president on the next episode of the American political drama television series Madam Secretary.
The trailer of Season 3 Episode 15 “Break in Diplomacy,” scheduled to air on March 12, shows a character – described in the episode’s synopsis as the “Philippines’ unconventional new president” – exhibiting inappropriate behavior towards the female lead character, US Secretary of State Elizabeth McCord, played by Téa Leoni.
In a statement, the Philippine Embassy in Washington DC pointed out that while “Madam Secretary” is a work of fiction, it tracks and mirrors current events.
“It is, therefore, inevitable that its depiction of world leaders will have an impact on how its audience views the real personages and the countries they represent,” the Philippine embassy stressed.
It added that this highly negative portrayal of the head of the Philippine government “not only casts doubt on the respectability of the Office of the Philippine President but also denigrates that way our nation navigates foreign affairs. It also tarnishes the Philippines’ longstanding advocacy for women’s rights and gender equality.”
In a letter dated March 6 to CBS Corporation, producer and distributor of the TV series, the Philippine embassy strongly protested the highly negative depiction of the Filipino leader.
It urgently called on CBS to take the necessary corrective actions in view of the injurious effects that this program will have on the interests of the Philippines and the Filipino people. (ROY MABASA)