This weekend, an episode of CBS political drama Madam Secretary will feature a lecherous Filipino president getting punched in the face.
The episode, scheduled to air on Saturday, was promoted with a trailer that’s getting people talking, because many are drawing parallels with the real president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, who’s been criticised for making overtly inappropriate and sexist remarks.
The episode’s plot will feature the fictional president Datu Andrada (played by Joel de la Fuente), making sexual advances toward the protagonist, US Secretary of State Elizabeth McCord (played by Tea Leoni).
McCord ends up punching Andrada in the face, jeopardising relationships between the two countries.
The parallel did not sit well with the Philippines embassy in Washington, which published a statement protesting the negative depiction:
“While Madam Secretary is a work of fiction, it tracks and mirrors current events,” the embassy said.
“This highly negative portrayal… not only casts doubt on the respectability of the Office of the Philippine President but also denigrates [the] way our nation navigates foreign affairs.”
A spokesperson for Duterte said that the show should have used a fictional parallel to Trump instead.
Filipinos were also up in arms:
But others see the parallel as a really apt joke:
The controversial portrayal of the Philippines leader comes as Duterte appears to turn away from the longtime ally, instead warming to other nations such as China and Russia.
Prior to election last year, Duterte made international headlines for some of his public remarks, including a joke about the gang rape of an Australian missionary. He has also catcalled a female reporter and insulted a female senator who was critical of his war on drugs.
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