Metro Manila, Philippines – Senator Robin Padilla and Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela exchanged sharp words Friday, July 17, over China Daily’s controversial depiction of Filipinos as monkeys, with the senator accusing the Coast Guard official of fueling “wartime propaganda.” Padilla criticized Tarriela’s condemnation of the Chinese state-run outlet, saying the coast guard transparency initiative had escalated tensions. “Mr. Tarriela, it was you who drew first blood. This escalation into wartime propaganda was your genius creation,” Padilla said. Addressing China’s controversial content, the senator said Filipinos, Chinese, and Japanese are all viewed as “monkeys of different colors” by white supremacists. “As for the Chinese media, aren’t we all monkeys of different colors in the eyes of white colonizers and white supremacists?” he said. Padilla further said responding to the issue in the same manner would mean abandoning the country’s Asian and Austronesian heritage.…