Actress Janine Gutierrez. FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines – Did Janine Gutierrez, granddaughter of Philippine movie superstar Nora Aunor, just took a swipe at star for all seasons and Batangas 6th District Rep. Vilma Santos-Recto for voting yes to the Anti-Terror Bill?
Gutierrez did not explicitly mentioned Santos in her Twitter post Thursday, but she sent out a cryptic message that can fuel another episode of the much-heated Nora and Vilma rivalry.
The young celebrity questioned the lawmakers who voted “yes with reservations” on the controversial House Bill No. 6875, which was approved by the House of Representatives on Wednesday, on why they have given this “agreeing” type of vote when they have doubts and hesitations.
On the other hand, Santos has been drawing flak for her stand on the Anti-Terror Bill — voting in favor with reservations — which prompted netizens to remind her of her movie roles which spoke about activism and criticizing government during the martial law period.
“Kung ‘yes with reservations’ ang nararamdaman mo, hindi ba dapat mag ‘no’ ka nalang hanggang masolusyonan o matanggal ang mga bagay na ikinababahala mo?” Gutierrez asked.
(If you feel to say “yes with reservations,” you should have said “no” first until the cloud of doubt and worries had already been removed.)
With Santos being bashed online, her son television host Luis Manzano rushed to her mother’s defense, noting that she is not a principal author of the bill and that she hopes the government agencies would implement the impending law with regards to human rights.
Recently, civil society groups, human rights organizations and opposition personalities like Commission on Human Rights and Vice President Leni Robredo warned that provisions inside the proposed measure are vague and may ultimately lead to twisted interpretations, therefore targeting even legitimate dissent.
They warned that critics can be silenced as law enforcers can do electronic surveillance and warrantless arrest on individuals viewed as terrorists, and those inciting terrorism.
Administration officials and supporters of the bill however assured that there are safeguards against abuse, with Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana saying that the provisions ensure the protection of human rights.
As of now, Gutierrez’ tweet has over 12,000 retweets and over 51,700 likes. One twitter user pointed out that Gutierrez was indeed referring to Santos, while another highlighted the showbiz rivalry between the fans of Vilma and Nora.
“I’m here for Miss Janine Gutierrez dragging Vilma Santos!” user @loverfestmanila said.
“Gusto ko ito. Apo ni Nora vs. Anak ni Vilma,” another person chimed in.
https://twitter.com/loverfestmanila/status/1268173854469287936
Gusto ko ito. Apo ni Nora vs. Anak ni Vilma :)
— Christoph J (@pedromulat) June 3, 2020
Santos and Aunor were two of the most famous and renowned artists of their generation. As such, fan bases of the two stars frequently made it a point to edge each other out, with some supporters taking it further by spurning a long-standing hatred against each other.