MANILA, Philippines — While Beijing claims that its music video titled "Iisang Dagat" is a tribute to COVID-19 frontliners, there might be a subliminal message in it, retired Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio said.
In an online forum organized by the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines on Monday, Carpio said the video is connected to Beijing's official position on the South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea.
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As of this post, the music video has more than 512,000 views on YouTube with about 149,000 'dislikes'.
"They say 'Iisang Dagat' but the Chinese are saying 'Iisang dagat pero amin 'yan (One sea but that's ours) because we own more than 85% of the South China Sea,'" Carpio said.
China's nine-dash line over the South China Sea overlaps with maritime claims of other countries in the region, including the Philippines.
In July 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration issued a ruling on the Philippines' arbitration against China. The international tribunal invalidated Beijing's expansive claims over the contested waterway but China continues to reject the landmark award, which favored the Philippines.
"They will say 'Iisang Dagat' of course there's only one sea because the water just moves around. That's fact. There's only one South China Sea but what is unsaid is that they claim to own it," Carpio added.
'China trying to make up for COVID-19 failures'
China's music video appears to be an attempt to make up for its failures at the start of the new coronavirus pandemic, Carpio said, adding that Beijing initially suppressed information on the infectious disease, which originated in Wuhan City.
At the same time, Beijing is also taking advantage of the pandemic but it backfired on them as seen in the public's response to the music video, he said.
Carpio further noted that it was "very rare" for a video to have "overwhelming" dislikes online.
"You can just see that it has boomeranged on China. It has made people more angry at China," Carpio said.
The retired SC justice also recalled how the Department of Health changed its tune on supposedly substandard medical equipment from China after the Chinese Embassy sent a text message to Health Secretary Francisco Duque III.
While it is dealing with the pandemic, the Philippine government should be more concerned about the safety of frontliners rather than trying to please China, he said.
Carpio also said that there should be an investigation whether the face masks, personal protective equipment and other medical equipment that came from China are really compliant with regulations of the World Health Organizations.
"China has taken advantage but of course there's a pushback. People jst don't buy that and that is show in the video that the Chinese Embassy had released. People saw through it and said they don't like it," Carpio said.
Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian wrote the lyrics of the song, which was performed by Chinese diplomat Xia Wenxin, Camarines Sur Gov. Imelda Papin, Filipino-Chinese singer Jhonvid Bangayan and Chinese actor Yubin.