A national alliance of women criticized the government’s hypocrisy for seeking a public apology over the racial slur aired in a British comedy show in the guise of defending the Filipino dignity.

“The Philippine government is seeking public apology from the show’s producers and the British Broadcasting Corporation not in defense of the Filipino dignity but in defense of its labor-export policy especially on the eve of the Philippine hosting of the Global Forum on Migration and Development,” said Gabriela Secretary General Emmi de Jesus.

In a statement, De Jesus said Filipino women in foreign countries are viewed as domestic helpers prone to abuse and exploitation.

“The Philippine government is not affronted that Filipinas are being exported abroad as domestic helpers and/or entertainers vulnerable to ridicule, exploitation and abuse. The Philippine government is flustered the 'anti-Pinay' portrayal in 'Harry and Paul' mirrors the current state of many Filipina overseas workers, which thus puts into question it’s claim that the Philippines is the showcase of how migration leads to development,” De Jesus said.

She added that the racial slur against Filipino women is not the first and will not be the last.

“Ultimately, accountable to this is the government’s continued export of Filipinas as commodities in exchange for badly-needed dollars,” de Jesus said.

The comedy show “Harry and Paul” portrayed a Filipina maid in a demeaning manner. The Filipina maid was ordered to dance in front of a depressed man as two others were egging him to have sex with her.

The group said the Philippine government has done so little to help Filipino migrant women, whom for decades have been maltreated, raped and abused.

They cited the cases of “Grace”, an overseas Filipino worker in Kuwait who was raped by her employer and turned away by the Philippine embassy when she asked for help, and that of 22-year-old “Hazel” who was raped by a US soldier in Okinawa, Japan.

The group added that the portrayal of a Filipina maid in the skit “speaks not of development, but of degradation.”