“SA AKIN, kalokohan po yan. Hindi po dapat pinapansin ‘yan dahil wala namang naniniwala na tayo’y probinsya ng Tsina.”
Hardly raising an eyebrow, presidential loudspeaker Harry Roque dismissed as sheer nonsense the “Manila, Province of China” in the label of a locally-made beauty product line packaged by its foreign owner.
“Alam naman natin na lahat ng Pilipino ay nagmamahal sa bansa. We are proud to be Filipinos and we will never allow to be subjugated by any foreign body,” furthered Roque, that by his cavalier dismissal of the issue totally negated what he mouthed.
“Unacceptable,” cried Manila Mayor Isko Moreno quickly demonstrating to Roque and by extension to his Chinese vassal in Malacanang what Filipino pride truly is.
“Hindi po ito katanggap-tanggap sa akin bilang Pilipino, bilang Manileño. Hindi po natin papayagan ito. Ang Binondo ay bahagi po ng Maynila at ang Maynila ay bahagi Pilipinas. Ang Maynila ang kapitolyo ng bansa, hindi po ito probinsya ng China; at ni minsan, hindi ito naging bahagi ng Tsina sa anumang lathalain o kasaysayan na naitala sa panahon natin at panahon ng ninuno natin,” averred Moreno.
Furthering: “Hindi natin hahayaan ang mga superpower na yan na parang pinipitik-pitik lang tayo sa mata at binabalewala nila ang soberentiya ng ating bansa at dito pa gagawin sa Maynila.”
Emphasizing: “Hindi po ako governor ng China, Mayor po ako ng Manila, Philippines. Yan po ang address ng Maynila. Maynila ay Pilipinas, at ang Pilipinas ay malaya. May sariling soberentiya.”
And Moreno promptly walked his talk: He called for the deportation of Chinese nationals Shi Zhong Xing and Shi Li Li, identified as owners of the cosmetic products, and ordered the city’s Bureau of Permits to issue a closure order and revocation of permit to operate against their business establishment in Binondo.
Four other establishments were ordered closed for selling products bearing the same labels tagging Manila as a “province of China.”
The Food and Drug Administration is reported also set to cancel the license to operate of Elegant Fumes Beauty Products Inc., the distributor.
Four more establishments were ordered closed for selling products bearing the same labels tagging Manila as a “province of China.”
Aye, where Roque is a parrot, Isko is a patriot.
