Boy Abunda recently shared his thoughts on the ongoing controversy involving actress Maris Racal and actor Anthony Jennings.
The issue arose when Anthony’s ex-girlfriend, Jam Villanueva, posted screenshots of private messages between Maris and Anthony, which allegedly revealed an affair that led to their breakup.
In an emotional video released on December 6, Maris addressed the controversy, sharing her side of the story. During an interview on ‘Fast Talk with Boy Abunda’, the veteran host offered his perspective, raising concerns over the public’s reaction to Maris’ involvement.
Boy questioned the intense backlash against Maris, saying, “Ako, ang aking reaksyon ay bakit sobra ang galit natin kay Maris? Bakit sobra? Because we’re not ready? Because there is no place in Philippine society for women who are aggressive? For women who make the first move? For women, for example, who say may pangangailangan ako? For women na halimbawa nagpakita ng kaniyang gusto, women who flirt ay kaagad malandi?”
He pointed out that if the roles were reversed and a man were in a similar situation, the public’s reaction might differ. He urged everyone to consider how we respond to such issues and whether true equality exists between men and women, saying, “Nasaan ang pagkakapantay-pantay ng mga babae at lalaki?”
Boy also addressed a specific part of Maris’ statement, where she mentioned that she wasn’t aware that Anthony and Jam were still in a relationship. Boy referenced a text exchange between Maris and Anthony, in which Maris asked Anthony to delete their messages. Anthony responded that he doesn’t delete messages, and a line in their conversation said, “And then there was a line in that conversation that said, ‘Someday, hindi na tayo kinakailangan mag-delete. Hindi tayo kinakailangan magtago.'”
Boy questioned Maris’ claim of being unaware of Anthony and Jam’s relationship status, saying, “So to say that you didn’t have any knowledge that they were still together, medyo kinukwestyon ko as an audience, as a commentator.”
Despite his concerns, Boy praised Maris for her bravery in coming forward with her story. On the same day, Anthony Jennings also released his statement regarding the issue.
