Broadway star Lea Salonga is known for tweeting progressive ideas online, but her remarks touching on inflation have triggered a rash of online rage from netizens who are now slamming her for making what some think were uninformed and pro-government statements.
Salonga is being called out for what she said in an interview on Sept. 25 at a press conference for her 40th-anniversary concert, however, her comments only went viral over the weekend.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4rYrtIqMD8
After being asked whether she had plans to join politics, Salonga was asked about the country’s inflation rate.
She said: “We’re affected to the point where certain goods and services that we buy are affected. I mean I don’t like it when I see my electric bill go up. I don’t like it when the price of vegetables… I mean we buy locally grown produce and when you see the price tag changed, it’s like, why?”
But what riled netizens was how she refused to blame President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration for the country’s woes.
She said: “You gotta wonder, if you’re angry about this, we have to see if it’s happened in previous administrations before [Duterte’s time] and if we got angry then too. And if it happened before and you didn’t get angry, whew. You might have to examine why that is.”
Inflation has gone up in previous years, but in September, it went up by 6.7 percent, the highest rate recorded in nine years.
The sky-high prices are why ordinary Filipinos are having a hard time making ends meet. That also explains why Salonga’s words didn’t sit well with some netizens.
@SyLicoNgaAko tried to be tactful. He wrote in a mix of English and Filipino: “Is @MsLeaSalonga sleeping? She belongs to the so-called privileged few, but I suppose it will not hurt her if she can be more sensitive to the plight of the poor; she should even be thankful for the many woke Filipinos fighting against the ill of this country. But, Lea is Lea.”
Tulog ba si @MsLeaSalonga? She belongs to the so-called privileged few, but I suppose it will not hurt her if she can be more sensitive to the plight of the poor; she should even be thankful for the many woke Filipinos fighting against the ill of this country. But, Lea is Lea.
— SyLicoNgaAko 裏科 (@SyLicoNgaAko) October 7, 2018
@sejoalzir refused to mince words. She translated Salonga’s comments in Filipino and wrote: “I’m not belittling her intelligence. But f*ck, that’s so lazy. Why does she come across as pro-Duterte? That’s a veiled statement from your auntie. Why?”
Ms @MsLeaSalonga on inflation: “Dapat tingnan kung ito ba’y nangyari rin sa past admin at kung nagalit din ba tayo noon.”
Hindi ko minamaliit ang utak niya. Pero ‘tang ama napaka-lazy. Bakit kaya parang pro-Duterte ang dating niya? Veiled ang mga statement ng tita niyo. Bakit?
— Miyako Izabel (@sejoalzir) October 7, 2018
@Duwag13 said: “That just proves that a person’s intelligence cannot be measured by her ability to speak fluent English.”
Isang patunay na hindi sukatan ang pagiging Inglesera sa katalinuhan.
— DU13 (DuTrese) Duwag sa Tsino, Hudas sa Pilipino (@Duwag13) October 7, 2018
@MyRizalPH alleged that Salonga is pro-Duterte, just as she is pro-Marcos.
He wrote: “Because she has shown she’s BEHOLDEN to the Marcoses (even if it’s the Filipino taxpayers’ money that paid for her command performances, not Marcos’ PERSONAL funds), & Du30 is supported by the Marcoses. It doesn’t take a genius to connect the Marcos-Duterte dots.”
Kasi she has shown she’s BEHOLDEN to the Marcoses (even if it’s the Filipino taxpayers’ money that paid for her command performances, not Marcos’ PERSONAL funds), & Du30 is supported by the Marcoses. It doesn’t take a genius to connect the Marcos-Duterte dots.
— MyRizal (@MyRizalPH) October 7, 2018
Salonga once tweeted that the Marcoses have been “kind” to her and her family, leading some netizens to accuse her of being a Marcos apologist. However, she said she does not doubt the experiences of people who suffered under martial law.
Former president Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law on Sept. 21, 1972, and lifted it on Jan. 17, 1981. Numerous human rights violations occurred during and after those nine years.
The Marcos family is believed to have supported Duterte’s 2016 campaign. Duterte, on the other hand, has repeatedly expressed support for the controversial family.
One user named @IamCarrollGee, however, was supportive of Salonga’s stand.
I love how you answered the questions about inflation. You are not just talented but ever since you have a very brilliant mind. You think rationally and all that ❤️❤️❤️
— sakura chan (@IamCarrollGee) October 7, 2018
Salonga is best known for her role as Kim in the original production of Miss Saigon, which earned her a Tony Award in 1991 for Best Actress in a Musical. She’s also behind the singing voices of Disney princesses Jasmine and Mulan.
Do you agree with Salonga’s comments? Let us know by commenting below or tweeting to @CoconutsManila.
