Heart Evangelista with her pet Aspin, Panda. Images: Instagram/@iamhearte, @pandaongpaucoescudero
Heart Evangelista clarified that she was not throwing shade when she dressed up her pet Panda with a multi-million peso necklace, but claimed that she has gotten tired of being the underdog and now has learned to bite back.
Evangelista recently posted pictures of her pet aspin (or asong Pinoy) wearing her million-peso Bvlgari Serpenti necklace, and netizens quickly speculated that she was trying to throw shade at Pia Wurtzbach, who had just recently been appointed brand ambassador of the luxe jewelry brand.
In an interview with GMA on Friday, August 23, Evangelista claimed her photos were not intended to disparage another person, although she pointed out that there are moments in life when people need to fight back.
“At the end of the day, kailangan palaban ka din. Alam ko na rin kapag hindi ka masyadong palaban, talagang natatapakan ka. So I bite now in a very sweet way, but masakit (At the end of the day, you need to stand up for yourself. I know how it feels to not be strong for yourself, you will be stepped on. So I now bite in a very sweet way, but painful),” she said.
On the matter of adorning her pet with luxurious items, she said that she just wanted to set an example that pet owners should treat their animals with special care.
“Honestly, I love my dogs, anak ko ‘yun eh… I want set an example na ang mga aspin, they are a special kind of breed na sariling atin. Ini-spoil ko siya. In fact, ang goal ko talaga is makarating siya sa Paris (I’m a very candid person so I’m very transparent. Honestly, I love my dogs, they are my children. I want Panda to set an example for Aspins, they are a special kind of breed that is proudly ours. I spoil him. In fact, my goal is for him to get into Paris),” she said.
As for the signature necklace that she used on Panda, she said the item has been with her for quite some time, and as owner, has the prerogative to use it as she sees fit.
But more than anything, she said that it symbolizes that people treat other beings the same way that they want to be treated.
“Well, the necklace has been mine since pandemic time so, I honestly don’t see anything. I feel like, more than anything, it should be an inspiration that, you know, you should treat the people around you the same they deserve the best,” she said. “So, honestly, I don’t really feel like there’s anything that I should do and not do, especially since I do own the necklace.”