MANILA, Philippines — Veteran singer-songwriter Freddie Aguilar on Tuesday lashed out at opposition senatorial bet Chel Diokno for “degrading” his contributions to the Filipino music industry.
Aguilar, who was among President Rodrigo Duterte’s preferred senatorial candidates, claimed that he has never been to a karaoke bar and said that he’s an artist who should be considered an “intellectual.”
He even called the human rights lawyer a “joke” for failing to differentiate art from karaoke.
“Ako po ay isang artist. Wala po akong kinalaman sa karaoke bar. Makikita ninyo si Diokno, J-O-K-E-N-O ah hindi niya alam ang sinasabi niya,” Aguilar said in an interview at the sidelines of PDP-Laban’s campaign rally in Malabon City.
(I am an artist. I have nothing to do with a karaoke bar. You see, Diokno, J-O-K-E-N-O, does not know what he is talking about.)
“Iba po ako . I’m a composer, I’m an artist. I am considered an intellectual, ‘yun po ang tawag saming mga composer. Ano pong tawag kay Diokno? Joke, he’s a joke. Hindi niya nga nadifferentiate ang karaoke at saka art eh,” he added.
(I am different. I am a composer, I am an artist. I am considered an intellectual. That’s what they call composers. What do they call Diokno? Joke, he is a joke. He cannot even differentiate karaoke from art.)
The Duterte-backed senatorial candidate made the remark after Diokno said he would concede to Aguilar if the Senate were a karaoke bar.
READ: Diokno: If Senate were a karaoke bar, I’ll concede to Freddie Aguilar
Aguilar also said that his compositions put the Philippines in the international music scene.
“Dinedegrade po (ba) niya yung contribution ko sa art natin (Is he trying to degrade my contribution to art)? Is that what he’s trying to say?” Aguilar stressed. /ee