SEN. Mar Roxas II and the Federation of
Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc.,
yesterday lashed at chief presidential counsel Sergio Apostol
for his racial slur on ZTE star witness Rodolfo Noel Lozada Jr.
Apostol, in a statement issued through Press
Secretary Ignacio Bunye, apologized to the Chinese community.
"This refers to my statement uttered in an
emotional outburst in reaction to Mr. Jun Lozada’s implication
of the First Gentleman to an alleged crime based on what is, at
best, hearsay evidence. Be that as it may, I sincerely apologize
to our hard working and law abiding Filipino Chinese who may
have been offended by my unintended slur," he said.
Roxas said: "It is ironic that the
President’s lawyer has made a racial slur against the very
nation from whom this government has sought to borrow millions
of dollars that have been purloined by graft."
"Apostol’s comment was uncalled for and
showed great disrespect for Filipinos with Chinese blood,
including our national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal," he said.
Roxas said Apostol’s remarks failed to make
Lozada’s testimony less credible. "Habang ginigiba nila ang
pagkatao ni Lozada, lalo silang nagmumukhang desperado,"
"Let’s stick to the light, as the nuns said,
by being straightforward and honest before the people," he
added.
Apostol, in an interview last Friday, said:
"They say he’s (Lozada) a Chinese from the province. Bagay sa
iyo i-deport ka. Magulo ka dito."
Lozada had described himself as "simpleng
probinsiyanong Intsik" in his testimony in the Senate last
Friday.
Fernando Gan, secretary general of the
Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry,
said the entire Tsinoy community was "aghast upon hearing" the
remarks of Apostol.
"We write not in defense of said witness, nor
to pass judgment on his testimony. We in the federation do not
know him, nor were we even aware of his ethnic roots until he
himself revealed so," Gan said in a letter to Apostol.
"Through this letter, we are expressing our
strongest indignation over this racial slur. We believe that
such unfair and insensitive statement only tend to create a
greater divide between the Tsinoys and the mainstream Philippine
society," Gan said.
Gan said Apostol’s statement that Lozada is a
"probinsyanong Intsik" who deserved to be deported immediately,
smacks of racial discrimination.
Gan said it would have been callous if such
utterance were made by an unlearned individual. "But coming from
a bar topnotcher (7th place-1958 bar exams), a former city
fiscal, former regional trial court judge, former congressman,
and now chief presidential legal counsel, such remarks are
uncalled for," he said.
Despite this, the FFCCCII, which consists of
170 chapters nationwide, vowed to continue to work hard for
harmonious relations between the Filipinos and Chinese.
Teresita Ang See of Kaisa para sa Kaunlaran
Inc. said Apostol’s remark was unacceptable.
She said it is not Lozada who should be
deported but corrupt government officials.
She said the Chinese Filipino community
believes Filipinos are proud of Lozada for telling the truth
since very few Chinese Filipinos could muster the courage to
bare anomalies in government.
The Filipino-Chinese fire volunteers also
protested the "racist" remark of Apostol.
They said some 40 fire brigades were planning to include the
anti-racist message in their parade along Metro Manila on March
4. – JP Lopez and Jocelyn Montemayor
