John Arcilla says criticizing gov’t officials is a right: ‘Bahagi ng sinasabi nating kalayaan’
“General Luna” starring John Arcilla. Image: Instagram/@tbastudiosph
Veteran actor John Arcilla has spoken up on the issue of government criticism and argued that calling out incompetent officials is a citizen’s right.
“MAGKAIBA HO ANG LUMALABAN SA GOBYERNO AT PUMUPUNA sa MGA HINDI EPEKTIBONG OPISYAL,” the “Heneral Luna” actor stressed on Twitter yesterday, Oct. 5. (Fighting the government is different from calling out ineffective officials.)
“Ang PAGPUNA HO ay PARTISIPASYON AT PAGMAMAHAL SA BAYAN; KARAPATAN ng NAGBABAYAD NG BUWIS AT BAHAGI NG SINASABI NATING KALAYAAN,” Arcilla added.
(Criticizing [incompetent officials] is participation and love for country; it is the right of taxpayers and is part of what we call freedom.)
He then noted that he hopes that his tweet makes it clearer, stressing, “Wag ho sanang MAGULUHAN ang ISIP NG ATING MGA MAMAMAYAN (I hope our countrymen will not get confused by this).”
MAGKAIBA HO ANG LUMALABAN SA GOBYERNO AT PUMUPUNA sa MGA HINDI EPEKTIBONG OPISYAL.Ang PAGPUNA HO ay PARTISIPASYON AT PAGMAMAHAL SA BAYAN; KARAPATAN ng NAGBABAYAD NG BUWIS AT BAHAGI NG SINASABI NATING KALAYAAN. Wag ho sanang MAGULUHAN ang ISIP NG ATING MGA MAMAMAYAN.
— John Arcilla official (@JohnArcilla) October 5, 2020
Arcilla’s tweet has since gone viral, gaining over 30,000 likes and 6,600 retweets since its posting yesterday. Many have also echoed the actor’s sentiments, with one Twitter user with the handle @winskievd wishing that citizens will be more open-minded.
“I totally agree with you Sir….. sana lawakan ng mga makikitid ang kanilang pag-iisip and be objective. Iisa lang naman dapat ang ating mithiin… ang mawala ang [COVID-19], makakain ng maayos ang lahat ng pilipino at umunlad ang pilipinas,” the netizen said earlier today, Oct. 6.
(I totally agree with you sir. I hope others will open their close minds and be objective. We all have the same goals: to get rid of COVID-19, to properly feed all Filipinos and for the country to prosper.)
I totally agree with you Sir….. sana lawakan ng mga makikitid ang kanilang pag-iisip and be objective. Iisa lang naman dapat ang ating mithiin… ang mawala ang covid, makakain ng maayos ang lahat ng pilipino at umunlad ang pilipinas.
— Tongwins (@winskievd) October 5, 2020
Another Twitter user, @arthos13, meanwhile lauded the actor by noting the contrast between his antagonist role in “Ang Probinsyano” and the Arcilla in real life.
“Eto sya: kontrabida sa Probinsyano, pero bida sa real life (This is him: a villain in ‘Probinsyano’, but a protagonist in real life),” the netizen replied earlier today.
Eto sya: kontrabida sa Probinsyano, pero bida sa real life..
— arthos (@arthos3) October 5, 2020
“I agree. We are a democratic country and it is our duty to keep our government in check,” one @jordan_evaristo meanwhile replied.
I agree. We are a democratic country and it is our duty to keep our government in check.
— P'Jordan (@jordan_evaristo) October 6, 2020
Arcilla, last April, was one of the celebrities who called out President Rodrigo Duterte’s “shoot them dead” remark in a speech where the president threatened those who will apparently create chaos amid the quarantine.
“Palagay ko, sa PANAHON ng TAKOT at GUTOM, KRISIS at EPIDEMYA ang kailangan natin ay mga LIDER na MAGBUBUKLOD sa atin at HINDI magdadagdag ng TAKOT at PAGKAKA HATI-HATI ng BANSA,” he tweeted on April 2.
(For me, in a time of fear, hunger, crisis and an epidemic, what we need is a leader who will unite us and not add to the fear and discord between citizens of the country. )
Palagay ko, sa PANAHON ng TAKOT at GUTOM, KRISIS at EPIDEMYA ang kailangan natin ay mga LIDER na MAGBUBUKLOD sa atin at HINDI magdadagdag ng TAKOT at PAGKAKA HATI-HATI ng BANSA. Kabayan, kung di ka naniniwala dyan, HINDI KA MAKABANSA. HANGARIN ang PAGKAKAISA.
— John Arcilla official (@JohnArcilla) April 2, 2020
He further stated: “Kabayan, kung di ka naniniwala dyan, HINDI KA MAKABANSA. HANGARIN ang PAGKAKAISA (My fellow countrymen, if you do not believe that, then you are not patriotic. Long for unity).” JB
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