Actress-turned-politician Niña Jose addresses viral video over stinky mic

Bayambang, Pangasinan Mayor Niña Jose-Quiambao. Image: Facebook/Mayor Niña Jose-Quiambao

Actress-turned-politician Niña Jose-Quiambao found herself in a sticky situation after she was caught on video raising a stink over a foul-smelling microphone that she was using during a speech in her hometown in Bayambang, Pangasinan recently.

Known for her show biz moniker Niña Jose, Quiambao was a “Pinoy Big Brother (PBB)” alum who married businessman Cezar Quiambao in 2016 as he was then running for mayor of Bayambang town, a man who is 33 years her senior.

In the now viral video, Quiambao was shown to have stopped in mid-speech to order a staff to replace the microphone she was about to use as she was disturbed by its stench.

“Can we change the mic? There’s bad breath here. Sorry, mabaho talaga ang mic (Sorry, the mic smells really bad),” she said. “Sorry, I can’t! Mabaho (It smells). It’s amoy maasim (It smells foul). Sorry. I don’t wanna have halitosis, you know?”

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Addressing the video after receiving flak on social media, the now Bayambang mayor claimed the video of herself pointing out a microphone’s foul smell mid-speech was “maliciously edited” in an attempt to tarnish her reputation.

On her Facebook page Sunday, Quiambao clarified that there was no intention on her part to “malign or embarrass” anyone. She also uploaded the full video of the incident to clear her side.

“Ang microphone ay hindi ginamit ng sinuman bago ko gamitin bagkus ito ay naitago ng matagal kaya marahil nag-cause ng hindi magandang amoy. Hindi ko iyon nasabi to malign or magpahiya ng tao,” she said.

(The microphone was not used by anyone before I did, because it was kept in storage. This might’ve been the cause of its foul odor. I didn’t say such remarks to malign or embarrass anyone.)

Citing her “close friends [and] LGU family,” Jose then stressed that she’s known for putting out “weird statements” while saying that if ever there’s a need to apologize, she would rather say sorry to the microphone instead.

“If ever I have to apologize, I will apologize to the microphone because nasabi kong mabaho na ito,” she said. “Sana kung sinuman ang nag-upload ng video na ito at ginamit upang kumita ng pera ay sana nakatulong ito sa iyo.”

(If ever I have need to apologize, I will apologize to the microphone because I said it smells bad. I hope that whoever uploaded the video and earned money from it, the video helped you in some way.)

The actress-turned-politician reminded her constituents to not judge others for their mistakes, and instead look at themselves rather than focusing on dragging other people down.

“Kung tayo mismo ay may mga pagkakamali at hindi perpekto, paano natin masasabi na tama tayong manghusga ng iba? Dapat nating isaalang-alang ang ating sariling mga pagkukulang bago tayo manghusga ng kapwa. Sa gitna ng lahat ng mga pagsubok at hamon, sana ay maging gabay sa atin ang pangungusap na ito,” she said.

(If we ourselves make mistakes and are not perfect, how can we easily judge others? We must remember our own shortcomings before judging others. Amid the hardships and struggles, I hope this will serve as a reminder.)

To end her statement, Jose said she would rather offer her “sufferings to Christ” and would “gladly take up that cross” after the incident.

“In everything that is happening right now, I am offering all my sufferings to Christ, if it means the whole world turns their back on me for Him, I would gladly take up that cross. Let’s spread love and understanding instead of judgment and hate,” she said.