'Madam Secretary' punches 'PHL president' in the face

In an episode reflecting the challenges faced by women in professional situations, "Madam Secretary" punched a head of state after the latter groped and verbally-abused her.

"Madam Secretary"'s fifth episode for its third season, "Break in Diplomacy," shows the eponymous character, US Secretary of State Dr. Elizabeth McCord, decking the fictional president of the Philippines Datu Andrada (played by actor Joel de la Fuente) after he makes a pass at her.

According to the episode's summary, McCord defended herself when Andrada got physical after making verbal passes at her during a meeting where he refused to renew an Asia-Pacific territory treaty.

The Philippine government was chagrined by the depiction of the fictional leader of the Philippines and issued a statement to CBS Corporation on March 6, enjoining the latter to fix its portrayal of the country's leader.

"While Madam Secretary is a work of fiction, it tracks and mirrors current events. It is, therefore, inevitable that its depiction of world leaders will have an impact on how its audience views the real personages and the countries they represent," the Philippine Embassy in Washington wrote.

"This highly negative portrayal of our Head of State not only casts doubt on the respectability of the Office of the Philippine President but also denigrates the way our nation navigates foreign affairs. It also tarnishes the Philippines' longstanding advocacy for women's rights and gender equality," it added.

The Philippines real-life president, Rodrigo Duterte, has long blasted the US for their criticism of his war on drugs.

Former US President Barack Obama was a particular sore spot for Duterte, but Donald Trump—who reportedly gave the thumbs up to Duterte's all-out war on drugs—seems to have earned his respect.

Filipinos have a long history of lashing out against all negative depictions of their country or culture in international media.

In contrast, a 2013 international survey revealed that the Philippines is one of the least racially-tolerant countries in the world. — TJD, GMA News