Filipina singer and Camarines Vice Governor Imelda Papin on Monday said she is not a traitor to the Philippines after she sang the theme song of the Chinese Embassy’s music video called “Iisang Dagat” (One Sea).
The song was released by the Chinese embassy in Manila, which calls for unity and features China’s aid to the Philippines amid the pandemic crisis. It also featured President Rodrigo Duterte thanking the Chinese government.
Imelda Papin, a famous Filipino singer, received criticisms since the song was released at the same time the Chinese government had become more assertive in their claims in the West Philippine Sea.
A government official told The Associated Press that a Chinese navy ship pointed its “fire control radar” at a Philippine navy ship off Commodore Reef in the Spratlys in mid-February. They also built research facilities and mental health stations as the country got busy dealing with the COVID-19 outbreak.
Also read: DFA files protests vs China’s recent moves in West Philippine Sea
“Hindi puwede maging traydor ang isang Imelda Papin. Hindi naman tama na sabihin iyon. Hindi naman nila ako binayaran. Ako po ang pinakiusapan, at ang intensyon ng kanta ay para magtulungan tayong lahat,” Papin said in an interview over Dobol B sa News TV.
(Imelda Papin cannot be a traitor. It’s not right to say that. They didn’t even pay me. I was being asked, and the intention of the song was to help us all.)
“Hindi ko alam na iyon ay propaganda nila. Puwede natin ilayo roon sa issue [ng West Philippine Sea]. Kung alanganin tayo, bakit natin tatanggapin?” she added.
(I didn’t know that was their propaganda. We can stay away from it [the West Philippine Sea] issue. If we have doubts, why should we accept them?)
As of Sunday, the music video uploaded on YouTube earned over 90,000 dislikes but only around 1,000 likes among almost 300,000 views.
“Ito ay paghawak-hawak ng kamay para sa magandang kinabukasan dahil sa kinahaharap nating problema. Tungkol po ito sa pagmamahal sa isa’t isa,” Papin said.
(It is holding hands for a better future because of the problems we face. It’s all about loving one another.)
Papin also said the song was a gift to all Chinese health care workers who went here to help the country. “Walang malisya [no malice] at all,” she added.