A lawmaker has agreed with the suggestion to declare HK Magazine online columnist Chip Tsao a “persona non grata”.

“Payag ako sa persona non grata. In fact, kung di siya mag-apologize dito sa ginawa niyang ito dapat siyang magkaroon ng persona non grata perpetual, in perpetuity, habang siya ay nabubuhay,” Parañaque Rep. Roilo Golez said on ABS-CBN’s “Umagang Kay Ganda.”

In his March 27 article entitled “The War at Home,” Tsao called the Philippines a “nation of servants” not worthy of claiming the Spratly Islands from China, pointing out that Hong Kong employs hundreds of thousands of Filipino household workers on very low wages.

Golez earlier urged the boycott of Hong Kong products for six months to one year, as well as the boycott of traveling to Hong Kong, to protest Tsao’s column.

His stand changed, however, after Asia City Publishing Group (ACPG), publisher of HK Magazine, issued an apology that read, “The publisher and editors of HK Magazine wish to apologize unreservedly for any offense that may have been caused by Chip Tsao's column date March 27.”

The statement, which is posted on the Department of Foreign Affairs website, noted that “HK Magazine has long championed the rights of Filipinos working in Hong Kong. We note that Filipinos have often been unfairly treated in Hong Kong, and that they make an important contribution to this community. As a magazine, we would never want to say anything that would negate that belief.”

With this, Golez said, “Lumambot na ang puso natin sapagkat yung mismong institusyon, yung HK Magazine, ang humingi ng paumanhin. So sa akin tanggap ko na yan, huwag natin idamay ang Hong Kong pero si Chip Tsao ay huwag nating tigilan.”

Migrante International also agreed that protests against Tsao should go on despite the apology coming from the publisher and editors of HK Magazine.

“Kailangan ituloy eh kasi sa totoo lang maraming karanasan ang mga migrants, ako bilang nagtrabaho din sa Hong Kong for 13 years, ang dami ng mga protesta na nangyari dahil dyan sa discriminatory na remark, pagtingin sa ating mga migrant workers,” said Migrante International chairperson Connie Bragas-Regalado over a phone interview.

“May sinasabi silang eyesore, rubbish yung mga Filipino,” she added.

Regalado also said: “Gusto kong hamunin din ang mga kababayan natin na mag-file ng kaso sa Equal Opportunities Commission. Kasi ang Hong Kong, nag-apruba ng anti-race discrimination ordinance na dapat lang naman. Ito na kasi yung tugon ng mga hinaing ng mga migrant workers na lagi silang nadi-discriminate. So dapat si Chip Tsao ay managot sa ginawa niya”.

“So sa amin, sa bahagi ng Hong Kong government, at isa naman din yung United Filipinos in Hong Kong ang lumalaban dito sa mga discriminatory actions sa mga Hong Kong citizens, even yung mga government officials sa Hong Kong,” she noted.

Regalado also said that “anti-race discrimination is addressed to the private citizens.”

“Ito yung venue for migrant workers, kahit iba-ibang nasyonalidad yan, na gamitin, i-maximize kasi ito naman din yung bunga nung mga paglaban ng mga migrant workers against discriminations sa kanila,” she said.

Meanwhile, the apology from ACPG also reasoned: “The column in question is satirical. One aspect of a satire is that it can at times be read in different ways. In this particular case, many people have read meanings into this column that were never actually intended.”

Golez, however, countered: “Alam niyo yung satire, dapat pino eh. Pero ito masyadong msakit ang mga salitang ginamit kaya hindi na satire yan, palusot nalang yan”.

He added, “Kaya ako nakikiisa rin sa sinasabi ng Migrante na ipagpatuloy yung mga demonstrasyon para maiparating natin sa kanila na tayo’y nagagalit dito sa ginagawa ni Chip Tsao at galit tayo kay Chip Tsao. Pero hindi natin nilalahat yung Hong Kong lalo na ngayon nag-apologize na ang HK Magazine.”

“We wish to assure our readers that we have nothing but respect for Filipinos, both living in Hong Kong and abroad” the ACPG apology concluded.

Regalado, meanwhile, confirmed that Tsao has a Filipina household helper, based on letters of exchanges among organizations in Hong Kong.

Tsao also wrote in his March 27 column that he “summoned Louisa, my domestic assistant who holds a degree in international politics from the University of Manila, hung a map on the wall, and gave her a harsh lecture.”

Tsao said he threatened to fire his domestic worker should war breaks out between the Philippines and China “because I would not risk the crime of treason for sponsoring an enemy of the state by paying her to wash my toilet and clean my windows 16 hours a day.”

When asked if Migrante will ask Louisa to leave Tsao, Regalado said, “Ibang usapin yan. Hindi naman natin sagkaan yung paghahanap-buhay ng isang kababayan. Ang mahalaga dito, principally, si Chip Tsao ay dapat managot doon sa ginawa niya.”

Golez, meantime, revealed that he joined a certain club that is inviting Tsao to go to the Philippines.

The lawmaker, who was an undefeated brigade boxing champion for four years in the United States Naval Academy, also clarified his YouTube video showing what he wanted to do to Tsao.

“Sa YouTube pinakita ko kung ano ang gusto kong gawin kay Chip Tsao, pero yan ay symbolic lamang na ibig sabihin bubugbugin pero di naman talaga itutuloy,” he said.

Golez was also asked as to why there are racial slurs hurled against Filipinos just like those that aired in television shows “Desperate Housewives” and BBC’s “Harry and Paul.”

“Hindi naman siguro, natiye-tiyempuhan lang. In fact kahit kay Manny Pacquiao pag basahin mo yung mga chatting, yung komentaryo sa mga artikulo, lalo na ngayon mainit yung Hatton-Pacquiao. Maraming ring mga maanghang na salitang nanggagaling sa England. Hindi maiiwasan yan, yung ganyang mga bagay,” he replied.

“Pero importante, dapat manindigan tayo, may konting ganyang mga salitang di maganda, dapat mag-react tayo agad,” said Golez.