Blogger Drew Olivar hit for suicide comments

MANILA, Philippines — After earning the ire of persons with disability, blogger Drew Olivar drew flak from mental health advocates who said his video blog trivialized suicide.

In a statement yesterday, the Youth for Mental Health Coalition (Y4MH) lambasted Olivar for his comments about suicide in a Facebook Live video posted in February.

“Drew Olivar’s trivialization and promotion of suicide among students in schools leaves a bad taste in the mouth for the mental health community especially to the people who have lost their friends and children because of suicide,” said Y4MH chairman Raymond John Naguit.

He stressed that suicide and selfharm should be given the “appropriate seriousness and sobriety that they deserve.”  

In the video, Olivar urged University of the Philippines students to just commit suicide in the campus – in particular, hang themselves from the Oblation statue – instead of doing walk-out protest actions. 

Olivar is a co-host of Presidential Communications Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson in her videos.

Naguit tweeted that Oliver should be held accountable for his actions, which include dancing in a sexist federalism video, mocking persons with disability and instigating a bomb scare.