Why Tetchie Agbayani thinks stars should continue 'pakikisawsaw' in politics

MANILA, Philippines — Veteran actress Tetchie Agbayani believed that celebrities, just like any ordinary Filipino, have the right to voice out their frustrations on the current issues in the country. 

During the virtual media conference of her new teleserye “Init Sa Magdamag” earlier today, Tetchie said celebrities are citizens of the country as well, so they have the same freedom of speech as any citizen has.  

“They say artista daw dapat stick to acting, stay apolitical, wag ka nang sumawsaw. But on the other hand, flip side of that, artists are citizens of this country as well. They have a voice, they have a unique position na because of their popularity mas pakikinggan sila,” Tetchie said.  

“If you see some injustice being committed, you cannot not speak. As a Catholic, as a Christian, merong nagaganap na hindi tama, hindi makatao, hindi maka-Diyos, obligasyon mo bilang anak ng Diyos na kumibo. Dahil 'pag hindi ka kumibo, kinokonsite mo 'yung mali na ginagawa,” she added. 

The actress added that she couldn’t help herself in speaking out because she cannot withstand what’s happening in the country right now.  

“Nasa iyo kung ano ang paninindigan mo, if you want to speak out or not. Pero para sa akin, mahirap nang hindi mag-speak up eh. Lalo na pag marami nang namamatay, marami nang nagkakasakit, kulang ang nakikita mong nagaganap. How can you not react? As a Catholic, hindi ko maatim na magsawalang kibo at magbulag-bulagan, magpipipihan, magbingibingihan. Mas kailangan nating sabihin na hindi tama yan."

Meanwhile, in the same press conference, actor Albie Casiño said that he’s not really mad at the government but how the administration handled the pandemic.

“I can only answer for myself, 'yung para sa akin lang. For me, I pay taxes. I feel I have a right to voice my opinion because I pay my taxes. Nakikita ko kung magkano 'yung taxes ko tapos nakikita ko 'yung response sa COVID e. So sinong hindi magagalit, 'di ba?” Albie said. 

“I’m not really mad at the government, I’m just mad on how they handled things."