Comedy writer Chito Francisco has publicly apologized to stand-up comedian Alex Calleja after falsely accusing him of stealing a joke in his Netflix stand-up special.
Francisco issued a formal statement on February 15, acknowledging that his claim against Calleja was unfounded and that he regretted the damage it caused to the comedian’s reputation.
In his apology, Francisco admitted that Calleja had provided proof and receipts that he wrote the car wash joke years before Francisco’s version.
“I would like to publicly apologize to Alex Calleja, my fellow writer, for accusing him of stealing the car wash joke, when in fact, as he has presented proof and receipts, Alex wrote it ahead,” Francisco stated.
He also extended his apologies to Calleja’s family, friends, and fans, acknowledging the harm his statements had caused.
“I know Alex as a gentle soul, and it was wrong of me to put him in a bad light with false and baseless allegations. Worse, these comments went viral on social media, leading the public to insult him and question his integrity as a writer,” Francisco added.
He then urged vloggers, netizens, and media outlets to delete any posts or comments related to the controversy to help mitigate its impact.
Calleja has since accepted the apology, responding briefly but firmly on social media: “Apology accepted. Now let’s move on!”
He also expressed gratitude to his legal team, Atty. Howie Calleja and Atty. Lorna Kapunan, for assisting him in handling the issue.
The dispute began when Francisco posted a cryptic message on Facebook accusing a stand-up comedian on Netflix of stealing his joke.
“Nanood ako ng Netflix special ng isang Pinoy stand-up comedian. Ginamit ‘yung isang joke ko. Well, marami pa ako niyan brod. Madami ka pa puwedeng nakawin,” Francisco originally wrote.
However, Calleja immediately countered the claim, presenting evidence that he had performed and shared the joke as early as 2011, long before Francisco’s post in 2019.
Fans and fellow comedians rallied behind Calleja, criticizing Francisco for making irresponsible and baseless accusations without fact-checking.
With Francisco’s formal apology and Calleja’s acceptance, the matter now appears to be resolved.
Francisco acknowledged that his careless remarks led to unnecessary backlash and expressed hope that his apology would serve as closure.
Meanwhile, Calleja remains focused on his career, particularly after the success of his Netflix stand-up special, which recently became the No. 1 show on Netflix Philippines.
