Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 19) — Women’s group Gabriela dismissed the signed letter of the waiter humiliated during the birthday party of actress, vlogger and TV host Alex Gonzaga as part of the latter’s “damage control,” adding the move is “demeaning” for Filipino workers.
“As if being publicly slathered with cake across the face while at work was not humiliating enough, Allan was made to sign a letter clearly devised for damage control and cleaning up Gonzaga’s name in the public eye,” Clarice Palce, the secretary-general of Gabriela, said in a statement on Thursday, referring to the waiter.
A few days after the clip went viral, showing Gonzaga smearing cake icing on the waiter’s forehead, Allan Crisostomo reportedly issued a statement revealing that the actress had apologized to him.
Crisostomo said in the letter circulating online, “Okay na po kami (We are okay now).”
This came as the 35-year-old Gonzaga received an uproar not just from netizens but also from online personalities, making her the top trending topic on social media platforms as the public called out her actions.
READ: Alex Gonzaga’s birthday party behavior prompts calls for better treatment of service workers
“This is doubly unjust and demeaning, not just for Allan Crisostomo, but for the millions of workers across the Philippines who are driven to endure daily abuse and degradation while at work,” Palce added.
The Gabriela official then urged Gonzaga to “learn with us the social realities faced by workers like Allan Crisostomo.”
“Instead of shaming working-class Filipinos in the name of status and fame, celebrities like Alex Gonzaga need to join us in challenging President Marcos Jr. to address the demands of Filipino workers today: dignified jobs, protection against violence, and the ability to freely speak up, associate, and organize despite the persistent repression of people in power,” she said.
Several netizens have also criticized Gonzaga’s move, with some saying it was an insincere act from her team.
On her Twitter account, Gonzaga also apologized to her family “for causing you pain and embarrassment.”
Meanwhile, her husband Mikee Morada, who is a Lipa, Batangas councilor, also commented on the viral video.
In a Facebook post, Morada admitted the actress’ fault.
“Bilang asawa at head ng aming pamilya, nais ko lang sabihin na nagkamali ang aking asawa,” he said. “Madaming mga rason na maaari kong sabihin kung bakit niya nagawa iyon pero walang excuse sa kanyang pagkakamali.”
[Translation: As the husband and head of our family, I just want to say that my wife made a mistake. There are many reasons I can say why she did that, but there is no excuse for her mistake.]
But Morada also came to Gonzaga’s defense, stressing that his wife did not deserve the severe criticism she has received over the incident.
