oh hmmm...i am sooo not surprised by this. i must say it is offensive to those who DID earn their degrees in the Philippines. It's clear that they're taking away ALL CREDIBILITY of a person who worked hard and earned their degree there. Making it seem like it's not legit or you can easily earn it or that they're giving them away or something. There is no way to easily earn a medical degree unless you buy it..sadly people do that

"IDK MY BFF JILL"

WOW. I cannot comment on all the overt discrimination/racism that touches us all in one way or another, every single DAY. IT's UGLY. It SUCKS.

Ya know, I know you're sensitive about this but you did ask for opinions so here's mine. I don't like it when people get offended about race or culture because we are all the same. I watch people of my race and culture or heritage get offended at some off hand remark and I think, how sad that you feel like you have to group yourself in with a stereotype. I don't agree with political correctness because it's robbing people of their right to express themselves and I think people need to chill out about it. Now with that being said, I have experienced people making derogatory remarks about my race and my heritage and I just let it roll off my shoulders that's their ignorance not mine. I just wish everyone would be a little less uptight about things. That's my opinion, sorry if I offended anyone.

Based on the character, Susan isn't the brightest... in fact, Susan is the dumbest of the show, so her remark is, in fact, dumb.

So, please people, get a grip, it's a character and a line of a scrip. If... let's say Bree or Lynette say this, then, we are talking of another case.

Again, we are not seeing an educational show. It is fiction. If we are going to start searching for apologies for things like these... well.. they're gonna start cancelling all the shows, I think.

wow! thats terrible! how can they say something like that???

Thank you for your opinions ladies!

Amanda, you make a good point! You didn't offend my feelings! Thank you for your imput!

eh, lol. i'm iffy about this, but you know non Filipinos go to Philippines for med diplomas too!! seriously, my cousin knows several non filipinos over there, it's pretty damn cheap tuition.
but it's true, a lot of the medical field has a LARGE AMOUNT OF FILIPINOS. and i'm not going to say all of them are stellar in their job but still...eh yeah i'm iff about this, but she also could've said caribbean or mexico and would that have been any different??

helll..my brother happens to be a doctor and this is really something hurtful for me, my brother and my family......we do need an apology

if japan, china, malaysia or thailand would mention instead of philippines.I think by now they would demand the same thing a public apology..the thing is filipinos didn't see it because we are not living in usa territories because we are living in our country, but the one who is campaigning for a an apology came from doctors who are now living in the usa and doing their practice their...and studied here in the philippines.
i know we don't have to make a bid deal out of this but desperate housewives is a highly rated popular show that is seen all over the world... people would then to believe what they see on tv and what media feeds them...

haze1nut, do you really think we have a cheap medical schools maybe you didn't know that many doctors are practicing their craft are now living in usa and some are chief residents that are qualified because they study in a good medical school here in the philippines...

I expect people to not believe what Susan says... she's dumb. I am a mexican, shows made fun of that too, they made fun of canadians, they make jokes.

So, this was a part of a script, a part of susan's scripts. For all I know she can say that mexicans doctors buy their diplomas, it is Susan , I don't expect her to be telling a fact-truth. I hope people who sees this kind of shows doesn't believe in that lines, because it is fiction.

It like when they start searching for an apology from Mel Gibson for that movie of his, "Apocalipto" because the culture wasn't like that. Ok, if you want to know more about Maya Culture, you should read a book, see a documentary, not watch Apocalipto. I didn't watch "the pianist" to see how WW2 was like.

If I want to know more about doctors and their diplomas, I search, I ask, I read, I don't watch DH.

of course you say that way cause you're not one of many of the million filipino-american doctors who have not been hurt.......

http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?FilABC&27501

It's just a very sad state in this world. People are STILL putting others down cause of their ethnicity. Sad.

"IDK MY BFF JILL"

Slightly offended, yeah. My cousin worked her ass off to earn her degree.

Amanda has a point; we're all racist to a certain degree but does that really make it okay? No. And the thing with what Susan said is she (or the writer, whatever) totally insulted their integrity. It wasn't a Carlos Mencia or Family Guy skit; it wasn't just another stupid stereotypical comment to be laughed at and taken lightly. There's an extensive audience watching and clearly that's what the guys behind the show think of our doctors, and possibly what a million ignorant DH fans are thinking now. It's a shame.

I think asking for a public apology is stretching it a little but that was totally uncalled for.

Convicted American serviceman Lance Corporal Daniel Smith was freed from a Makati jail late evening Friday on orders of the Philippine government, the US embassy said.

Embassy spokesperson Matthew Lussenhop said that Smith was moved out of the Makati City Jail to the embassy at about 11 p.m.

Smith’s transfer came almost a month after the US and Philippine governments urged a local court to turn him over to American custody while his case is on appeal, citing provisions under the RP-US Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA).

"The government of the Philippines made a decision to transfer Lance Corporal Daniel Smith back to US custody, consistent with the terms of the VFA," The Associated Press quoted Lussenhop as saying.

“I do not know when the decision was precisely given, but the transfer was made at around 11 o'clock,” he said, adding it “was in cooperation with the Philippine police.”

Smith, 21, of St. Louis, was found guilty on December 4 of raping a Filipino woman, identified in court as “Nicole,” and was sentenced to 40 years in prison. He was detained at the Makati City jail.

The rape case has tested relations between the two countries, with the Philippine courts refusing to hand Smith over to the US embassy as requested.

The United States cancelled its annual joint military exercises with the Philippines in 2007 in protest at the refusal, which had raised concerns over the legal rights of US soldiers in this country.

Smith's lawyers, the US embassy, and the Philippine departments of justice and foreign affairs had all said Smith’s detention violates the VFA, which covers the presence of US troops in the Philippines.

A provision in the agreement says any accused American serviceman shall remain in US custody until all judicial proceedings are exhausted.

But Makati regional trial court Judge Benjamin Pozon, in his ruling, said the provision applies only during "the judicial proceedings in the trial court" and expires upon a defendant's conviction, regardless of a pending appeal.

Private prosecutor Evalyn Ursua, lawyer for Subic rape victim Nicole, said President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo could be impeached for allowing this “violation of our sovereignty” and “clear foreign intervention.”

"I am sure without her order, this transfer will not be possible," she said.

Ursua said her group would also file criminal cases against Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romula, Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez and all those responsible for Smith’s transfer.

"They are all rapists. They raped our Constitution. They should all be held criminally liable," Ursua said.

Ursua said only the courts could give orders for Smith to be transferred.

Asked what was the basis for Smith’s release despite his conviction, Lussenhop simply said: “By the order of the Philippine government.”

Smith would be kept in the same US Embassy facility where he was held during his trial, said Lussenhop.

An intelligence source said Smith was freed on orders of Arroyo but there was no immediate comment from Malacañang.

Inquirer sources in Baguio where Arroyo is spending the New Year said that she was at with US embassy officials for cocktails for about an hour last night.

“What I know is nakalabas na siya (He has been released). It’s government to government,” a source familiar with the case told the Inquirer apparently to justify the turnover of Smith to US custody.

Philippine foreign affairs officials could not also be reached for comment.

Leftist and nationalist groups had earlier hailed Smith's detention in the Makati jail, saying it was in accordance with local laws.

They charged that US efforts to get him transferred were "arm-twisting."

Officials acknowledged the cancellation of the joint exercises was a severe setback in diplomatic relations and to the upgrading of the poorly-equipped Philippine military.

The Philippines has one of the most poorly-equipped armed forces in the region and is already hard-pressed battling a 7,100-strong communist insurgency as well as Muslim extremist groups like the Abu Sayyaf.

It has been hoping for US aid to upgrade its armed forces.

Lussenhop said it was “too early to say” if the cancelled joint military exercises would push through now that Smith was back in US custody. “As of now it is still cancelled,” he said.

Balikatan is the largest US military exercise held in the Philippines each year, involving as many as 5,000 American soldiers.

At least one round of joint exercises between Filipino and US troops has been planned in February, said a military official who coordinated past war games.

The rape case has also sparked street protests and revived anti-American sentiment in the former US colony.

With Tetch Torres and Lira Dalangin-Fernandez INQUIRER.net; Volt Contreras, Alcuin Papa, Tarra V. Quismundo and Norman Bordadora, Inquirer; Agence France-Presse and The Associated Press

" An American soldier was convicted here for raping a filipina,
and his custody remained out of our hands and he didn't get the punishment he deserved rather he received special attention, but we didn't say anything...We only want an apology for insulting our filipino healthcare capabilities...and still we remained humble and hospitable to americans living here....including lance smith...

This is a big issue rigth now in the Phillipines and i can say that the mass here is greatly outraged by what the character of one of the desperate housewives said. It is perhaps the rigth of every person to say things that they wanna say, whatever their nationality is, but i think we have to limit our words thinking whether it could damage others. The character is fictional but the effect is really devastating especially to those living abroad that can be subjected to such prejudice. A responsible, mature, and educated person should always be sensible with what they say. I admire Americans for being outspoken and democratic. But let's face the truth, we can't force our culture to others....it's about time for the show to atleast review their script inorder not create such damage again. I am not against Americans because this not the battle of races. Let's put ourselves in each other shoes' in order to create a more harmonious realationship....I'm dissapointed with the show, and i'm definitely sure that Filipinos here, in the Philippines, feel the same.

I am sorry if a offended anyone, I see I didn't make my point.

I am not disappointed with the show. even if I see it and like it (sort of) well, for me is a little-dumb-show, so this wasn't a shock for me. So I don't believe in what they say, those characters, are in fact, desperate (and crazy). The show is... well it isn't that good, the show definitely don't give a good example, in anything.

I think ABC must gave an apology, and next time, read twice what they are going to say, don't say it or put a message for it.

I hope people, like me, don't take seriously what those characters say, I hope every damn script of that show (or shows) is being read very very thoroughly.

Meanwhile, I prefer to watch HEROES they aren't racist, they rock!, they are talking English, Japanese and now Spanish!, a lot of different characters.

do not do unto others, what you do not want them to do unto you....
we are very respectable,friendly,hospitable,generous filipinos to the foreigners living here...heck we even let an american get away from raping one of our own...I'm no longer interested watching the show...
but the damage has been done, to the filipino medical workers here and abroad...i just do hope my brother's resume is not affected by this said insult...

This has nothing to do with the Desperate Housewives debacle, but I thought I'd share my friends MySpace bulletin:

I don't know if you have watched David Letterman's Show when he used Filipino-American for his top ten reasons, but this certainly shows we are an emerging group in this diversed society to be featured in Dave's famous TV show..

1. Air Force One does not allow overweight Balikbayan boxes!

Thought it was funny.

I dont know what any of that means..LOL.

"IDK MY BFF JILL"

Oh yeah, only Filipino Americans would get it, lol. I just wanted to make them laugh since I know some of them were really offended by the DH thingy.

rIveronica - those are funny..I am not Filipino..but 99% of my friends in high school were..it's funny because we had a friend who was also filipino & he drove a Mazda MPV which was a sort of mini van..anyway, he would take a bunch of us places..then pick others up..i just thought of that when I read MPV

Hehe. Fun stuff, tatti! I didn't even know what an MPV was until my friend explained it to me! Haha.

Yyamm - CHEAP TUITION doesn't MEAN "CHEAP" Education.

my dad got his degree from Philippines (ortho surg. but turned to home care, he makes a ton ton ton of money! and yes filipinos LOOOVE home health care)
my uncles (general / anesthesiology)
several cousins (mostly general, one obs)
WHO ARE ALL HERE IN THE US! getting edu from places, grabbing internships, with years of US edu on them.
my brother is going there to Philippines...and i'll be honest because it's CHEAP AND EASY to get into!! board is cheap, food is cheap,and yes i will tell you that it is cheap tuition. and yes i do think that people apply there bc it's easier to get into than any of the schools here in the USA. but honestly even though the majority of our Filipino peeps in the medical field are hardworking their education in the Philippines will ALWAYS be compared to the education provided in america.
honestly, if you compare both educational institutions do you really think philippines' matches america's? no. simply no. but we make up for it in hard work and taking on additional education in the USA and employers see that.

but still i don't think susan's comment is intended to be mean. she is naive.
NAIVE!
and people are too senstive

I'm with you. Bravo haze1nut!

lol @ the letterman top 10 list. is that real?? hilarious!! i totally get 10,9 and 5

Yes, I know that racism still exists and their are a lot of people out there who's so narrow minded a toothpick wouldn't have been able to get through!

As a proud Filipino and a nursing student, I am offended by the remark made by Teri Hatcher's character. Yes, it was line made by some ignorant scriptwriter, but as an actress, she had a choice of whether or not to utter those ignorant lines.

I only have one thing to say, Teri better hope she won't get sick within the following months because no matter which hospital she would go to, there's going to be Filipino nurses and doctors there! And I wonder what they'd do to her! hahaha! Oh, i'm sure they'll take good care of her since they made an oath to save lives and to take care of there patients.... but....

you don't have to be rude at the situation...Philippines is a catholic and democratic country and we are not liberal as americans are...
what the petition is fighting for, yes there's freedom of expression to present humor but not take in the morality of one's capability as said in our medical schools yes, we are a third world country but we don't need more insults and manifestations of our lack of money because we have poverty here...cheap? yes,,,cheap but is doesn't mean our education is poor in intelligence and credibility.
haze1nut, cheap...i didn't get to have a cheap education here in my country why?..there are class a, b, c and d..but not to boast i consider myself class a...i grew up studying in an all girls catholic schools( st. paul, pasig) , (example the gossip girls schools)...and now in my collage in an expensive school also (ceu)...and it goes same thing with my sister and brother...
education system system here are inline on what is your financial status of your family is clearly....
I just do hope PACQUIA wins in his boxing rematch in Las Vegas so that he can tell to the whole world that filipinos are capable of anything...(talent, education (medical schools), .....

Pixie, i agree with you 100% Teri better watch her back, lol.

Yyamm
OMG. cheap tuition does not mean Cheap education! and...you really love using that word "cheap" for your cause don't you? you're being really sensitive and you're reading things too black and white.

Read carefully. I am catholic, i was born in the Philippines but i was raised here, my family is rich but they got that way through EXTREMELY tough situations (we were poor!! poor poor in the beginning when we came over here 18 years ago) but THAT DOESN'T mean ANYTHING at this moment because all i was saying was something you took out of context.

And i wasn't trying to be rude but you were being really in the box with all your points.
I DID NOT SAY PHILIPPINES WAS POOR, why are you even pointing that out?
I DID NOT SAY PHILIPPINE HAD CHEAP EDUCATION.
ALL I SAID WAS THE TUITION THERE IS CHEAP! AND THAT IS NOT A BAD THING.
AND BY CHEAP i mean the tuition with room and board would equal $20,000 US dollars whereas over heeeeeeeeerrre it would be $45,000 a year or more!

and if you still don't get the point,
http://www.valuemd.com/asian-medical-schools/26196-philippine-medical-sc...
Read that a couple times over.

and if you really think education there is "inline" with the education here, then you are really ill advised and i don't even want to delve into that argument bc i would have to make a whole other list of things.
and next time, PLEASE read what i write and not read what you THINK i wrote.

and yes i know filipino doctors, nurses, therapists, etc my family works in the medical industry and most of our nurses and other employees are FILIPINO! so don't make it seem like i'm naive to this situation, don't make it seem I don't know where you're coming from bc I do! but i just hate it when people don't get the point I am trying to make and they jump off my point with a weird mixmash point of their own and make it seem like i said it. it's a serious pet peeve of mine and i'm sorry if i sound rude but you need to seriously learn to understand other people's Points of view.

hear hear haze1nut!!

Yyamm

we aren't offending you. Try to understand what we were saying to you, as far as I can see, WE ARE ON YOUR SIDE!! stop trying to prove us wrong.

As haze1nut says "you need to learn to understand other people's POV"

I repeat WE ARE ON YOUR SIDE.

I frankly can say that I hope your brother's resume don't get affected. I think it will not.

yeah i don't think your brother's resume will be affected by this, people in the medical business over here in the US understand that filipinos are hard workers and they really love them over here bc nurses are in high demand and there are a LOT of filipino nurses both filipino americans AND immigrants.
if your brother is coming to work in the US then all he needs is to pass his boards, grab a great residency and just gather a lot of experience to impress his employer. and passing the boards are hard so that in itself is a recognition on its own.
why would one dumb line from one naive dumb character from a tv show affect that? that's not the real world.

and i luv ya, Nadia! and 100% agree with you

filipinos are hard workers, and it is true that a majority work in the health care field because it is their passion. rude comments like this is uncalled for. be thankful for the people who care for you and your family at their time of medical crisis!

whoah!!!!!!!!....as far as the controversy goes my heart goes out to the filipino people who have been offended!!!
we are a family of doctors and i think filipino doctors have the right to defend their image specially with a kind of this show who is popular and seen all over the world...
medical association ( kinda like united nations but medical term) is bringing this issue to the world medical association conference in denmark and they will make it a point to condemned the show...the line
specially ( Okay before we go any further, can I check those diplomas? Cuz I would just like to make sure that they are not from some med school in the Philippines.")
in tagalog ( ok, bago tayo magpatuloy, pwede patingin muna sa mga diploma? kasi gusto ko siguraduhing na hindi yan galing sa isang pipitsuging med school sa pilipinas!!!)
that's how filipinos see that line..that's how they see it's not right to make an insult to our pride!!!
so it is out of our hands to make judgement calls...but everyone is entitle to their opinion,right? just put yourself in the position of the filipino people especially doctors...
but for me i 100% support the filipino doctors around the world...and if that means they're taking it to the world medical assocition, i'm all for it!!!!!!!i'm running out of english..can i speak in tagalog next time...i like desperate housewives believe me i am a fan of the show, i love hollywood but i'm also a filipina, and i love my countrymen...and i don't want to see them get hurt and get hmiliated infront of national tv...but what's done is done...the damage is done but karma is coming!!!!nuff said!!!

on my brother's behalf..when i spoke to him he told me he signed the petition all of his filipino and fil-am doctors friends...
he said he was like the 3000th one to signed and that the number's grew...
over and over in an hour..and that he didn't apply for us his applying for australia....affected- meaning when they get to see the resume it says filipino and school of graduated- up diliman, philippines...
there's a quite a story there but i can't say it in english ..it's hard to explain....go figure...
and sorry for the inquisitions,,,haze1nut [+]
i'm just telling you how filipinos here are reacting...and same goes for me...

jokes are half meant so it can be hurtful. in this case it is hurtful for my fellow filipino meds. and not all people can take it as a joke. it is damaging to their credibility and skills!

desperate housewives lost points in my book. i saw the premiere last week. however i didn't see it last night

-- i agree with haze1nut

and rlveronica: LOL @ the David letterman thing. so true! i totally get #1 (Balikbayan boxes!!! )