Albay Gov. Joey Salceda. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / REM ZAMORA
MANILA, Philippines—“No forgiveness deserved. He insulted Albayanons across generations.” This was the response of Albay governor Joey Salceda after actor Xian Lim apologized to the governor and the people of Albay for refusing to accept a souvenir shirt and rejecting a coffee table book promoting the province.
Salceda, in a phone interview Friday, told INQUIRER.net that Lim was invited to the province for the Tsinoy Albay Festival on Thursday and as a “usual courtesy” was given a t-shirt and a coffee table book but the actor refused to accept those saying “I am not here to promote Albay.”
Lim has issued an apology through his Twitter account saying he was “misunderstood.”
“I just read an online article about an incident which is deeply upsetting because it doesn’t tell the right story. In the article I was quoted as saying ‘I am not here to promote Albay’, something I never said or would ever say,” Lim said.
But Salceda refuted the statement and said the actor was not telling the truth.
“All facts are pointing out that he is lying. He was so rude,” he said, adding that the actor rejected the “constant kindness’’ of the Albayanons.
“He refused our hospitality. We are deeply hurt,” he added.
“The mere fact that the coffee table book is titled Warm Albay and the t-shirt (bore the words) Warm Albay should already be obvious that these are typical touristic materials,’’ he said.
The governor said her chief of staff, Atty. Caroline Cruz, gave Lim the Warm Albay t-shirt but the actor said “Huwag po, ayaw ko po (No, I don’t like it) .”
Cruz instead gave the actor a coffee table book but Lim also refused to accept it saying, “Huwag po, ayaw ko po.”
After the incident, Lim reportedly left and went to his car while many were waiting for him to have a photograph taken.
In his statement on Twitter, Lim said he refused to wear the t-shirt because it might be in conflict with his clothing endorsement.
“Sorry po, hindi ko maisuot yung t-shirt kasi baka magka-conflict sa clothing endorsement ko. Pasensiya na po,” the statement read.
“My parents raised me to be respectful and generous to everyone, and my management has always stressed the virtues of decency and humility. I do not do drugs and have worked hard to get to where I am. If you send me the t-shirt and after I have cleared it with my clothing endorsement, I would be more than happy to wear it online and on air. I am also very willing to promote the book of Albay,” Lim added.
But Salceda said they did not ask Lim to wear the t-shirt. He said that ‘‘Warm Albay” was the one written in the t-shirt contrary to Lim’s claim that it was “I love Albay.”
The governor said they paid Lim P350,000 as talent fee and they expected a kind gesture from the actor.
In a statement posted on his Facebook account, Salceda said, “Since we paid ABSCBN Starmagic for his services, we expect them to be fair in reporting this hurtful PTCAO incident. Ordinary PTCAO working staff ang hiniya at ininsulto niya.”
“Liars go somewhere,” he said, adding the actor could have just issued an apology and acknowledged that his behavior was wrong.