(Eagle News) — Opposition senators are seeking a Senate inquiry into the “propriety” of the plan to air of Chinese programs on state-run television station PTV 4 starting August.
In filing Senate Resolution No. 780, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, Senators Bam Aquino, Leila de Lima, Risa Hontiveros, Kiko Pangilinan, and Antonio Trillanes IV said the airing of such shows in the network “poses a danger of spreading Chinese propaganda sanctioned by our government..”
“Airing of Chinese shows in a state-run network may represent an insidious agenda of subtly inculcating among Filipino viewers propaganda on Chinese Communist Party and its authoritarian one-party state, anti democratic, and atheist ideology and principles, thus countering and possibly ultimately destroying the Filipino’s democratic, pro-people and religious culture and identity,” the senators said.
The senators also called out the government with what they said was its “continued tolerance and leniency” to “Chinese intervention in our political and economic life… now to be reinforced with the airing of Chinese government propaganda in our government-owned media, signifies the clear and present danger of Chinese domination in the Philippines, short of an invasion.”
It is “incumbent upon the government to shield the broadcast industry from any form of intrusive and invasive foreign agenda of domination, control, and brainwashing of the Filipino people, be it subtle or explicit,” they said.
On June 13, Chinese Ambassador Zhao Jianhua said the shows to be aired may inspire Filipino viewers to learn how China attained “steady economic growth, improved their people’s lives, and have secured regional peace and security.”