The Philippine government on Wednesday said Hollywood actor Alec Baldwin made a "prejudiced, offensive and prejudiced" remark when he joked about getting a Filipina mail-order bride in a recent U.S. talk show.
In a letter sent to the 30 Rock Tv series actor, the Philippine Consul General Cecilia Rebong said as a public figure Baldwin should be sensitive to discriminatory statements.
"To label women married to U.S. nationals as mail-order-brides simply because they are from overseas, or from the Philippines or Russia in particular, is offensive and prejudiced," Rebong said in the letter that was also released on Wednesday by the Department of the Foreign Affairs.
Baldwin, ex-husband of Hollywood actress Kim Basinger, on May 12 told talk show host David Letterman in an interview that he is thinking of getting himself a Filipina bride.
"I'd love to have more kids. I think about getting a Filipino mail-order bride at this point or a Russian one, I don't care, I'm 51," Baldwin said, causing the audience to break into laughter.
Although delivered in jest, Baldwin's remark sparked outrage among Philippine senators and pro-women groups.
"The general impression given by your statement was that Filipino women can be categorized as easy commodities for sale," Rebong said.
On Wednesday, Philippine Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita told media that the government would not ask for a public apology from Baldwin at the moment but "let him suffer the consequences of his statements without the government taking more pro-active measures on that."
It was not the first time when the Philippines was angry over careless remarks made by internationally-known celebrities. Producers of the popular U.S. series "Desperate Housewives" apologized after one of the lead figures played by Teri Hatcher made fun of the professional competence of Filipino doctors in the States.
Honest, diligent and being fluent in English, Filipinos are hired in large numbers overseas as domestic helpers, nurses, drivers and nurses.
(Xinhua News Agency May 21, 2009)
