ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Eric Yap. Image from his Facebook
MANILA, Philippines — Asking a videographer of the House of Representatives to focus the camera on him, ACT-CIS Rep. Eric Yap on Friday managed to insert a remark against a blogger who earlier called him out over the naming of a Benguet testing laboratory after him.
During the budget hearing of the Department of Justice at the House committee on appropriations, Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate was asking Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra for the agency to look into recent killings of activists deemed as politically-motivated before Yap asked his own concern.
Yap, committee chair, then asked Guevarra: “DOJ Secretary, tanong ko lang, kasi minsan ‘yung iba nagpo-post sa Facebook, siguro nangba-bash. Hindi kaya minsan tinitingnan niyo doon or papaano po ba? Kapag may nagpo-post sa Facebook, vina-validate niyo ba?”
(If I may just ask, DOJ secretary, sometimes others post on Facebook to bash people. How do you handle that? Do you validate Facebook posts like that?)
Guevarra then sought to clarify Yap’s question, saying: “ Mr. Chair, maaari pong pakilinaw lang kung ano po ‘yung nature ng pinopost (can you please clarify the nature of the post)?”
Yap then asked the Justice secretary if complaints on such posts can be filed before the National Bureau of Investigation.
“Kasi recently, merong namba-bash sa akin, ‘yung Jover, blogger po ‘yan eh. Galit na galit siya sa akin. Pwede ba ako magsampa ng kaso sa kanya?” the lawmaker said, before telling the videographer: “Sir, pakitutok muna sa akin, close-up.”
(Recently, someone bashed me. Her name is Jover. She’s a blogger and she is really angry at me. Can I file a complaint against her? Sir, please focus the camera on me, make it a close-up.)
He was referring to Jover Laurio, a critic of the Duterte administration and the person behind the Pinoy Ako Blog.
Yap said Jover calling him “super gwapo” (overly handsome) had offended him.
“Recently, ‘yung kanyang message hindi ko po nagustuhan. Tinawag niya po akong Congressman Eric ‘super gwapo’ Yap. Eh parang medyo offensive naman po ‘yun. ‘Yun lang po, baka pwede ako magreklamo sa cybercrime [unit]. Tinatawag niya po akong super gwapo, eh hindi naman po,” he said.
(Recently, I did not like her messages. She called me Congressman Eric “super gwapo” Yap. But that seems offensive. Maybe I can file a complaint to the cybercrime unit. She was calling me “super gwapo” when I am not.)
But Yap seemed to be not serious about his remarks as he did not allow Guevarra to respond and instead immediately recognized the next lawmaker to ask questions to DOJ officials for the agency’s proposed budget.
Yap was apparently referring to the Facebook post of Laurio where she called him “Representative Eric ’Supergwapo’ Yap.” She posted this on her page after Yap hurled insults at her during the budget hearing for the Office of the President on Monday.
“Ang akin lang, para kay Jover, nakita ko yung page niya, lahat na lang puro galit, puro maling impormasyon. Iisa lang ang tama sa impormasyon na pinost niya, kung saan meron doon na mukha niya na ipinipakita niya ano ang itsura ng COVID kung ito ay magiging tao,” Yap earlier said.
(Here’s my take, to Jover, I saw her page and all the contents seemed full of hate, pure wrong information. Only one thing is correct in his information that he posted, where he is showing his face that he claimed what a COVID would look like if the virus becomes human.)
But a day after, Yap said he wasn’t insulting Laurio but was urging her to use her online platform to inform the public about the coronavirus disease 2019. He said he is sorry if Laurio was offended by his remark.