News Release
October 5, 2007


Reference: Rico Foz, Executive Vice President, National Alliance for Filipino Concerns (NAFCON), email: nafconusa @ yahoo.com


FIL-AMS AGREE TO UP THE ANTE IN ACTION DEMANDING FOR A BETTER NETWORK APOLOGY
National Fil-Am Leaders Reach Impasse with Network Executive Over Desperate Housewives Racial Slur

New York--- New York Councilmember John Liu gave an agitating speech in front of the ABC Studios along Columbus Avenue in Manhattan as he joined 70 members, including the Sentosa 27 ++ nurses, from the Filipino-American communities in a picket last night following an impasse reached by Filipino-Americans leaders in a negotiation session organized by the National Alliance for Filipino Concerns (NAFCON) and ABC, Inc.

National leaders including Rico Foz, spokeperson for NAFCON, NAFCON legal advisor Arnedo Valera, Executive Board Members Dr. Orlando Apiado and Dr. Benjamin Ileto, and NAFCON Special Commissioner on Philippine-based Affairs Bernadette Ellorin comprised the negotiating panel that met with ABC Inc. Senior Vice President for Diversity and Talent Robert Mendez in a closed-door meeting at the Trump Plaza, four blocks away from a picket organized by NAFCON outside of the ABC Studios. The picket went for nearly three hours.

The session was to articulate additional key demands from the Filipino-American community to be addressed by the TV network after it issued a one-paragraph email apology for a racial slur uttered by Terri Hatcher's character on last Sunday's episode of "Desperate Housewives".

In a single email sent to Philippine Daily Inquirer reporter Nimfa Rueda, the following is the network's statement: "The producers of 'Desperate Housewives' and ABC Studios offer our sincere apologies for any offense caused by the brief reference in the season premiere. There was no intent to disparage the integrity of any aspect of the medical community in the Philippines. As leaders in broadcast diversity, we are committed to presenting sensitive and respectful images of all communities featured in our programs."

Many in the community found the apology simply insufficient.

For Liu, an ardent immigrant rights advocate for New York City, the demand for a better apology is not much to ask from a major multi-million dollar network such as ABC. "After all, they are not asking for a second apology, just a real apology."

Among the concrete demands presented by NAFCON leaders in a closed-door meeting with ABC Inc. Senior Vice President for Diversity and Talent Management Robert Mendez are: 1) a more sincere apology that recognizes the contributions of Filipino medical professionals for the past four decades in the US, 2) that the apology be broadcast before the airing of Desperate Housewives next three episodes, 3) that ABC Inc. conducts an investigation of the shows writers and producers in order to track down the line's origins and take the appropriate disciplinary action, 4) that the scene be permanently deleted from all future episodes, DVD's and all boxed sets of the series, 5) that ABC conducts cultural sensitivity workshops with all its employees and 6) that ABC commit to concrete support for groups working for positive images of minority communities often invisible and disenfranchised in the media.

While the network has since deleted the scene due to massive and international community pressure from groups like NAFCON, they remain non-committal of a "more sincere" apology.

According to Mendez, the first apology was sincere enough. NAFCON and other groups taking action, even threatening of a boycott of the show, strongly feel otherwise.

"In the case of an offense to the community, it is the community, not the offender, that decides on the terms in sincerity in an apology. Until we reach an agreement, the protests will continue" Foz ended. ###