Indignation over a “racist”  and "anti-Filipina" comedy sketch aired over British Broadcasting Company United Kingdom’s (BBC UK) “Harry and Paul” are increasing with the launch of an online campaign and petition.

The BBC comedy show portrayed a Filipina dressed as a maid as a sex entertainer for a depressed and aging British man. The Filipina “maid” was also made to dance in front of the British man as two others were egging him to have sex with the Filipina.

The Philippine Foundation launched an online petition “to show BBC UK that the behavior illustrated in their show would not go unnoticed.”

Called Dignity and Respect for the Filipino Worker Campaign, the online petition stated that “the Filipino community in the United Kingdom hereby condemns the BBC and the Harry and Paul Show for their tactless and insensitive behavior and for inciting stereo-typed racial discrimination, vulgarity and violation of the maid's human rights. The show demeaned the dignity of honest labor while promoting the sex industry, domestic abuse and maltreatment of the blue-collar worker that effectively sustains this economy.”

Michael Duque, Philippine Nurses’ Association of the United Kingdom (PNA UK) president and who is also a correspondent of ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau, encouraged Filipinos across the globe to read more about the campaign and sign the petition in order to let the BBC UK know about their reactions to the episode.

Painful reminder

Renato Reyes, Jr. Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) secretary general, in a statement meanwhile demanded a public apology from BBC UK to the Filipino community, saying that the show “Harry and Paul” should never be aired again.

“The BBC sketch is a painful reminder of the real plight of Filipino migrants which is often ignored by the Philippine government. Filipinos abroad face racism, discrimination at the workplace, sexual harassment, rape and other violent attacks. This is what Filipinos have to deal with because they are not provided jobs here,” he said.

Reyes added that the Philippine government should file a formal protest before the British embassy in the Philippines. 

“The Philippine government must not let this horrible incident pass without expressing indignation. Arroyo’s praise for the OFW will only become more meaningless if such racial insults are allowed to happen unprotested,” he said.

The activist leader also encouraged Filipino bloggers and web users to email their complaints to BBC.

BBC’s Harry and Paul

The following is an account made by the Philippine Foundation on October 5 of the episode.

"On 26 September 2008 at 9 p.m., BBC 1 aired the comedy series Harry and Paul starring Harry Enfield and Paul Whitehouse. The opening scene showed Paul seated on a chair on his front lawn, while still in his pajamas. A young Asian-looking female was shown gyrating in front of him in a lascivious manner. The postman arrived to ask Harry, Paul's friend, what was going on. Harry told him that he is trying to see if his ‘Filipina maid' can seduce Paul who obviously looks depressed.

Harry then continued to shout instructions to the young girl and to Paul to 'hump' the Filipino maid. He remained unmoved while the girl even played with his hair. On further instructions from Harry, she continued to gyrate sexually in front of Paul. Harry then instructed the maid to 'present her rear' which she did while wiggling her bottom in a seductive manner. The maid did not succeed in seducing Paul as he got up from his chair to go to his house. Harry shouted at the girl in an angry voice to leave as she was useless in doing her job. The girl walked towards the pavement looking upset. While walking on the pavement, the postman looked at her in a leering way and followed her. After catching up with her, he was shown to be whispering in her right ear and the girl then walked off with the postman."