Joey de Leon’s ‘mea culpa’

Joey de Leon. FILE PHOTO

Depression isn’t just a figment of its stricken patients’ imagination—and “Eat Bulaga” host Joey de Leon has learned this the hard way. The comedian drew the ire of viewers shortly after he declared on Oct. 6 that depression was something merely “made up”—a statement described by medical professionals and netizens as “irresponsible” and “dangerous.”

In a mea culpa remark one day after his controversial statement, De Leon admitted in the “Juan for All, All for Juan” segment of the popular noontime show his realization that stress and depression aren’t one and the same.

“I made a mistake,” he said in Filipino. “Hindi ko alam ang lahat ng bagay sa mundo, at habang nabubuhay tayo, natututo tayo ng mga bagay-bagay. Pinagalitan ako ng asawa ko at [pinagsabihan ng] mga anak ko… At lalo akong nahiya sa sarili ko noong banggitin ni Eileen (Macapagal, his wife) na mayroon kaming mga mahal sa buhay na nagdurusa sa ganung kalagayan.

“Kagabi, nag-sorry ako kay Maine (Mendoza), dahil s’ya ang nagbanggit tungkol sa depression. Kaya humihingi ako [sa inyo] ng paumanhin at pang-unawa. So, medyo nakahinga na ako dahil hirap akong makatulog.”—RITO ASILO