- Derrick Monasterio admits his insensitivity on the AIDS joke he made.
- He received negative comments from many and shared about the unwarranted stigma around it.
- Derrick deleted the AIDS joke and apologized after.
In an exclusive interview with PEP.ph, Derrick Monasterio admitted that he was wrong and insensitive. His “witty” joke about AIDS or Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, then, received negative criticism from many.
Derrick also admitted that he didn’t realize that the joke perpetuated the unwarranted stigma against patients who suffer from it.
The Kapuso actor admitted that he realized the serious matter too late.
“Na-realize ko na it’s not a laughing matter. Seryoso talagang nangyayari siya. Mali yung ginawa ko talaga. Hindi ako naging sensitive.”
Derrick also added that a mother sent him a message about her child suffering from AIDS. He also shared the story and how the mother was hurt by his joke.
“Na-realize ko na mali, kasi kanina lang umaga, may nag-direct message sa akin. Mom siya, yung anak niya meron daw, merong sakit. Sinasabi niya sa akin na ang insensitive ko raw. Nahe-hurt siya na, parang sa akin, wala lang yun. So, sabi ko, ‘A, okay, I messed up.’ Nagkamali ako dun sa ginawa ko.”
Derrick also admitted that when he re-posted the said AIDS joke without thinking about the gravity of his actions.
“Wala akong kamag-anak o kakilala na dumaan sa ganung sitwasyon. Pero nakarinig ako ng story na very personal, dun sa nag-DM sa akin. Na-realize ko na insensitive nga yung post ko.”
He also admitted that he didn’t “thinking before clicking.”
“Hindi ko inisip bago ko pinost.”
Derrick deleted the AIDS joke and apologized after many called him out for being out of line. He likewise acknowledged the furious tweets from netizens who saw his original post about AIDS.
“Well, ginawa ko ‘yan. I have to face the consequences din talaga. Naintindihan ko emotions nila kung bakit sila galit, bakit sila violent over social media. Kasi nagkamali ako. Inaamin ko din naman yun. Nag-apologize talaga ako sa lahat ng na-hurt ko.”
Derrick shared an important lesson on the said issue. Then, he acknowledged that AIDS remains a serious matter. He further admitted that he now understands how heavy this issue actually is.
“It’s good din para sa akin na nangyari ‘to, kasi hindi ko siya maiintindihan talaga, e, kung hindi nangyari. Kung hindi nila pinaintindi sa akin kung gaano kabigat yung issue na ito. Na this is a serious matter, hindi ito dapat pinagtatawanan.”
