Duterte urges end to xenophobia against Chinese

President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday urged Filipinos to stop showing hostility towards Chinese nationals amid the novel coronavirus outbreak.

Duterte emphasized that it is 'not good' to blame or discriminate against Chinese people simply because the virus originated in China.

The president rejected calls for barring all Chinese from entering the country and said such actions would be an 'utter disrespect to a human being.'.

He also noted that there are around 300 Filipinos in Hubei, China, who have been unable to return home due to travel restrictions imposed by the Chinese government.