There are so many things that are wrong about the PAP's mentality in regard to the Philippine National Day saga. In essence, it reflects the fact that the PAP has failed in its duty towards the true Singaporean electorate.
First, there is a distinction between the Philippine day event held at Ngee Ann city and that of Singapore day elsewhere. The latter is a cultural event which is basically a large scale gathering of compatriots in the park of a cosmopolitan city - this is hardly different from what is popularly celebrated in student dorms of international universities.
By contrast, Philippine day in singapore takes on a significant political element as rightly pointed out by American Timothy Eugene Garlock - with the exception of embassies, there is otherwise no legitimate right for a group of nationals to celebrate its national day on another country's soil.
Through the failure of the police to veto this event, the civil service has essentially negated to regard the feelings of true Singaporeans - they do not understand the already strained relations and schism between locals and foreigners. Thus, we can see the failure of the government as the cause of exacerbating this issue.
As some may have earlier pointed out, the design of the Philippine national day poster is also offensive on numerous levels: it carried the symbolic 'rising' rays over the singapore skyline while having the picture of revolutionary soldiers: what is this trying to imply when such measures do not exist back in the Philippines?
In passing such a remark, has the PAP not considered that such xenophobic are fueled by their own policies which has resulted in many Singaporeans feeling unjust on foreign students receiving scholarships while PMETs suffer weak labour laws while these foreigners are willing to work for less?
Also, what about the fact that many Pinoys have made xenophobic comments against Singaporeans but have not been censured to the very least? Rachelle Ann Beguia? One only needs to Google "pinoy insults singaporeans" on Google images to see the numerous cases.
The backlash from Singaporaans cannot be more obvious in its implications: from the perspective of an average Singaporean, the PAP has lost its moral legitimacy both as goverment and as a political party.
Joseph Kheng-Liang Tan
*The author is a 21 year-old polytechnic graduate who is currently pursuing his law degree in Australia. Widely quoted for his views, he has contributed extensively in his personal capacity to top socio-political sites such as TRS and TRE. He is also supremely homophobic and would rather vote for the PAP should the opposition send in a homosexual representative.