An ABS-CBN crew was caught on video being ridiculed by supporters of presidential aspirant Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Wednesday, December 8.
The said reporter was there to cover the caravan of Marcos but was met by his supporters calling the network he works in “biased.”
Over Twitter, several personalities defended the journalist and took a swipe at the BBM supporters.
Journalist Jules Guiang clarified that the crew was doing his job and had his rights violated by those who insisted there was no press freedom attack.
Inatake ang isang kotse ng ABS-CBN kanina sa Commonwealth dahil biased network daw sila. Biased pero andun sila para i-cover sa kanilang news? Hindi raw threatened ang press freedom pero pisikal nilang inatake ang kotse ng ABS-CBN?
— Jules Guiang (@julesguiang) December 8, 2021
James Banaag saw Marcos loyalists as “bullies” as they harassed the Kapamilya reporter trying to cover the news.
this is clearly BULLYING. https://t.co/9KNhCtk9i2
— James Banaag (@dearscarjames) December 8, 2021
Ogie Rosa, a Twitter personality, hit back at netizens who claimed that Kapamilya loyalists and Marcos critics were using cancel culture. He said that BBM supporters also tried to cancel several personalities.
Ang hilig daw sa cancel culture (ex., Angkas) ng mga "pa-woke"?
E 'di ba ginawa n'yo rin 'yan sa ABS-CBN, Rappler, Ligo, Cafe Breton, Colourette, Rabiya Mateo, Angel Locsin, Coco Martin, Liza Soberano, Maris Racal, atbp?
ANG DALAS N'YONG MAGKA-AMNESIA, ANO?!?
— Ogie Rosa (@ogie_rosa) December 9, 2021
A Twitter personality who saw the video described BBM supporters as “lason sa bansa” as they insinuate hate on the Kapamilya reporter. The netizen then stressed how Marcos fanatics hated having their candidate be called a dictator’s son, which is the truth since Ferdinand Marcos Sr. was the Philippine President for 20 years.
KAYO ANG NAUNANG NAMBASTOS TAPOS NUNG GINANTIHAN KAYO, NAGALIT KAYO.
Kung makasabi kayong bias media, bakit hindi ba totoo na anak ng diktador at magnanakaw si BBM?
Kayo talaga ang literal na lason sa bansa. pic.twitter.com/YnKmc2TXLV
— ALTKapamilyaChannel (@AltKapamilyaCH) December 8, 2021
Another Twitter personality ridiculed the loyalists of BBM as they cried afoul when ABS-CBN did not cover their gatherings but drove the network’s journalist, who was trying to report the news.
Galit sa ABS CBN kasi bias at di nila narereport ang gatherings na sumusuporta sa Marcos-Duterte tandem???
Pero nung andun para i-cover ang event nila itataboy???
Tapos pag walang media mileage ang event nila magagalit at tatawaging bias ang ABS CBN??? https://t.co/iZRM0lyvNo
— BrujaTortillasDeliciosas (@BrujaDelDemonio) December 8, 2021
TV personality Justin Dizon criticized one supporter of Marcos, who, based on the video, seemed to enjoy the loss of livelihood of Kapamilya employees. The behavior of such individuals made Dizon conclude that Pres. Rodrigo Duterte really had “brought the worst out of people.”
Ok sige gets, misinformed ka.
Pero yung kinakatuwa mo yung pagkawala ng trabaho ng libo-libong tao sa kasagsagan ng pandemya?
One unemployed = one family affected
Tapos ngayon pisikalan naman?
Ano kayong klaseng tao? Duterte and his sycophants brought the worst out of people. https://t.co/ZfgN3w8AvL
— Justin Dizon (@iamjustindizon) December 8, 2021
Writer Jerry Grácio questioned BBM supporters who were preventing critics of Marcos from campaigning against him, pointing that if the son of a dictator would win as president, there may be a possibility that he, just like his father, would attack press freedom.
Bakit dapat magkampanya ang mga Kapamilya na huwag mahalal 'yung anak ng diktador? Dahil itutuloy ng anak ng diktador ang atake sa press tulad ng ginawa ni Duterte at ng tatay nung anak ng diktador na unang nagpasara sa network. https://t.co/5CwD7wv4kX
— Jerry B. Grácio (@JerryGracio) December 8, 2021
JC Punongbayan, a Rappler columnist, considered these behaviors “toxic.”
https://twitter.com/jcpunongbayan/status/1468550938528940036?s=20
Singer Pinky Sazon also questioned the motive of proud BBM supporters who called ABS-CBN “bias” and asked what the network has done to them that made them act in such ways.
Sa proud bbm supporters dyan… ganito din ba kayo?
Anong ginawa ng ABS sa inyo at ganito katindi ang galit niyo? https://t.co/7Ve70E55YS— Pinky Sazon (@pinknlov) December 8, 2021
Meanwhile, Congressman Mike Defensor, a supporter of BBM, pleaded to ABS-CBN supporters to stop hating the young Marcos and give him a “second chance.”
“I think he should be judged as to what he has done in the past. Isa lang ka Tunying. Example, lahat ng mura ginawa, hanggang doon sa tatay niya na hindi mapalibing tinitira siya.
“May narinig ka bang minura ni Bongbong Marcos o thrineaten o nagsalita siya ng masama? Wala eh. So ‘yon palang malinaw na ‘yong pagkatao nitong taong ‘to eh. Sa tingin ko, bigyan nila ng pagkakataon si BBM,” he asked.
The caravan that harassed the journalist also caused heavy traffic in Quezon City.