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David Letterman
The Philippines has strongly protested against a joke made by
Hollywood actor Alec Baldwin about getting a Filipina mail-order
bride, describing it as insensitive, Manila's foreign ministry
said.
The Philippines said the labelling of women married to US nationals
as mail-order brides is offensive and prejudiced, Cecilia Rebong,
Manila's consul-general in New York, said in a letter sent to the
actor.
Rebong said the Philippines is one of the leading countries in the
world in eliminating the trafficking of women and children and that
Baldwin's statement in a television interview gave the impression
that Filipino women could still be categorised as commodities for
sale.
"Being an actor and a comedian, it is understandable that you may
not be aware of these matters," Rebond said in her letter to
Baldwin.
"However, as a public figure, it is incumbent upon you to be
sensitive to discriminatory statements, especially in a
multicultural society as colourful, rich and diverse as that of the
United States."
Women's group in the Philippines were also outraged after Baldwin's
interview on the The Late Show with David Letterman last week was
posted on the video sharing site YouTube.
Women lawmakers at the two-chamber Congress also protested against
Baldwin's statements and demanded a public apology from the
actor.
"Let us make it clear to the world, Filipino women are not for
sale," Senator Loren Legarda said in a statement.
"Not even for sale to Hollywood actors."
