Do not stand in the way of Filipino fans and their favorite “love teams.”
That’s what local actor Jake Cuenca learned the hard way over the weekend when some overly passionate netizens blasted him for what they thought was shade thrown at the film The Hows of Us, starring the popular Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla tandem (aka KathNiel).
In a now-deleted tweet, Cuenca wrote: “#goyo is a treasure! As Filipinos, its (sic) our obligations (sic) to watch the film! It’s our heritage our history more than rom coms we need to watch this film to learn. It’s our local Lincoln!”
Cuenca was referring to the historic drama Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral (Goyo: The Boy General), which is currently in theaters nationwide. Produced by independent film company TBA Studios and Globe Studios, it is unlike most local movies produced today, which are usually romantic comedies.
Also in theaters at the moment is the romantic film The Hows of Us, which was produced by Star Cinema, the largest motion picture company in the country. Unlike Goyo, The Hows of Us is exactly like most mainstream films produced in the country—a romantic story with a happy ending and starring a “love team.”
Love teams are on-screen couples made to look like they’re dating in real life to fuel dedicated fan bases. In exchange, fans support their projects and often passionately stand up for their preferred couples, as seen in people’s angry reactions to Cuenca’s tweet.
Cuenca did not mention The Hows of Us on his tweet but many assumed he was referring to the film when he said “rom coms.”
@bitchingzelle called him a card-carrying member of the “memanist movement,” Filipino slang for people who say things just to get attention.
“Just go away please,” she said in Filipino and English.
https://twitter.com/bitchingizelle/status/1038632563516956672
Another said that he should’ve promoted Goyo without bringing down The Hows of Us.
“Jake Cuenca u can promote other films without pulling down d other, u didn’t mention The How’s of Us but it is obviously given. Whether a film is romcom horror drama historical etc At d end of the day it’s all Filipino made but let’s also encourage people to level up their taste,” @darylmico16 wrote.
https://twitter.com/darylmico16/status/1038477068957179904
“Do you have a problem with KathNiel, JAKECUENCA?” @caaasaandraaa asked.
Following people’s negative reaction to his tweet, Cuenca immediately issued an apology on Twitter.
“I would like to apologize for my tweet. I wasn’t pertaining to another film #thou (The Hows of Us) aside from #goyo. It was wrong of me to compare genres but I wasn’t comparing both films because both films are great. Just happy to have variety in the cinema and we should support them all. My bad.”
I would like to apologize for my tweet. I wasn’t pertaining to another film #thou aside from #goyo. It was wrong of me to compare genres but I wasn’t comparing both films because both films are great. Just happy to have variety in the cinema and we should support them all. My bad
— Jake Cuenca (@ijakecuenca) September 8, 2018
His apology received mixed reactions as well.
@socalknfan thanked the actor for owning up to what he said.
https://twitter.com/socalknfan/status/1038358964503642112
But @almightyswift told him to think how his tweets might affect other people first before posting them.
“Next time, please think before you click kasi many people might misunderstand your tweet, take it out of context, or worse, you might offend other people. To think na you’re a public figure, you really should practice that.”
Next time, please think before you click kasi many people might misunderstand your tweet, take it out of context, or worse, you might offend other people. To think na you're a public figure, you really should practice that.
— julia (@almightayswift) September 8, 2018
This isn’t the first time fans of a love team reacted so strongly online. Last October, Bernardo and Padilla had to defend actress Angel Locsin after KathNiel fans started sending her hate messages for simply landing a lead role in the love team’s TV show.
