Leila (left) and Ogie Alcasid
There’s no winning against trolls.
That was Ogie Alcasid’s fatherly advice to his eldest child, Leila Alcasid, who recently had to put up with crude and malicious social media comments about her appearance and romantic relationship.
While Leila typically doesn’t dignify online bashers with a response, the 24-year-old singer couldn’t let past this specific remark posted on her Instagram page last month: “Nakakapanghinayang bata pa pero laspag nah ng jowa tsk (sic).”
“I was surprised because she was dealing with more intrigues than me. So, I called her up the day after and told her, ‘Anak, huwag ka nang pumatol. You will just get hurt; there’s no winning against them,” Ogie related in a recent video conference for “Virtually Yours, Kilabotitos,” his upcoming digital concert.
“The more you respond the more they get back at you. It won’t stop,” Ogie reminded Leila, his first daughter with ex-wife, Michelle van Eimeren.
Leila, who’s currently dating rapper Curtismith, addressed the aforementioned “rude” comment, saying that she’s in a “happy and loving relationship with a very respectful person.”
“I would prefer we not be referred to this way,” wrote Leila, who also stressed that she’s already turning 24 years old, and urged people to stop posting “nosy” comments about her being too young. “Try kindness.”
And Ogie completely understands where her daughter is coming from. “Leila told me that she got emotional because she loves her boyfriend. She was hurt because she’s protective of their relationship. And I get that,” he said.
One of the challenges of raising Gen Z children, Ogie pointed out, is that they also have to deal with such issues. “I told her not to mind them,” he said. “What’s important is that we understand each other.”