There is no stopping Megastar Sharon Cuneta when it comes to speaking her mind.
Through a lengthy post on Instagram, Sharon shared her concerns regarding the issue of ABS-CBN franchise denial and certain family members who are being maltreated on various social media platforms.
Namatayan ng isa sa paboritong Tita, hindi man lamang nakita dahil nasa Amerika siya. She brought up the issue about her daughter, Frankie Pangilinan who received a rape threat from a Facebook user. Sharon said that netizens criticized her for defending her daughter, made fake and twisted stories, and continued to bash her nonstop.
Frankie Pangilinan criticized rape culture and victim-blaming in the Philippines saying that rape culture is real and a product of its precise line of thinking, where the behavior is normalized, is particularly by men. She also said that the way anyone dresses should not be deemed as ‘opportunity’ to sexually assault them. In return, a Facebook user wrote ‘I will hunt you down and rape you’, prompting a furious response from Sharon.
When the veteran singer-actress defended her daughter, some heartless netizens criticized her actions and spoke ill of her.
“Pinagtanggol ang anak; siniraan, ginawan ng istorya, binaligtad, walang tigil na pambabash,” Sharon said.
Sharon also shared about how she couldn’t go visit her recently deceased aunt in America and how she couldn’t comfort and give her condolences to her cousins personally due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She mentioned that she suffered from defamation even from her friends but learned to forgive them because she still believed in the goodness that is in their hearts.
The artist expressed how respecting other people’s opinions must always be observed even if they don’t agree with it, that people will always have different say on things and that it is a normal thing for them to disagree with your opinion. The only important thing is that they disagree with you without the use of harsh and hurtful words.
“Lahat ng paninindigan, okay lang na may kokontra, pero hindi natural sa tao ang kumontra ng may pambabastos at napakasasakit na salita gayong di naman sila pinipilit na sumang-ayon, kundi rumespeto lang gaya ng noong araw,” Sharon said.
She also posted a picture in relation to this on her Instagram account.
View this post on Instagram
The post is a message to the Filipino people saying that people don’t necessarily need to agree on all things. People will have to learn to accept other’s beliefs and opinions and to ‘agree to disagree.’
The artist also spoke up about the ABS-CBN franchise denial issue saying that congress let 13 hearings held only for the network’s executives to be asked recurring questions and be talked to in a disrepectful manner.
“Pinadaan pa sa 13 pandinig ang mga Boss namin sa ABS-CBN na ang ilan, hindi lahat, pero ang ilan sa Congreso ay kung kausapin sila ay pasigaw at parang mga kriminal na mamamatay tao na halos ang mga kausap. Parang paulit-ulit lang ang mga tanong pero sinagot ng mapagkumbaba, disente, umamin sa mali at nangako sa harap ng milyong-milyong Pilipino na babaguhin ang mali,” she said.
Sharon said that ABS-CBN executives still answered all the questions asked to them with respect and humility despite the manner on how they were asked. In front of all the Filipino people, they admitted to the network’s shortcomings and promised to correct their mistakes because no human or network is perfect.
Sharon also pointed out one senator that stated that those 11,000 ABS-CBN employees who lost their job should just go look for another job for them to support their family’s needs. She seemingly mocked the senator saying that finding a job in the middle of this pandemic is not an easy feat for there are also millions of Filipino people competing with them as they also lost their jobs and businesses due to COVID-19.
“May isang Senador na nagsabing maghanap na lang daw ng bagong trabaho ang 11,000 mahigit na empleyadong may mga pamilyang apektado ng pagkawala ng hanapbuhay na ito, gayong may mga 16 million na yatang Pilipino ang nawalan ng trabaho at maraming negosyo na ang napilitang magsara sanhi ng COVID-19.” Sharon stated.
Sharon asked the senator how the people could possibly look for another job now that the country is still suffering from this pandemic. Even the artist herself struggles to continue with her job due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She was supposed to have a new season of her show Your Face Sounds Familiar Kids if it weren’t for the lockdown.
She showed her pity to those contractual workers of ABS-CBN who weren’t able to work fulltime and were fired by the network. Sharon said that if only she and Kapamilya artist Angel Locsin were given the chance, they could’ve talked with the network’s executives and helped the workers even in just a simple way.
Sharon also mentioned ABS-CBN’s chairman Carlo Katgibak saying that the man should have been given the chance to run the network better and for a longer time to continue to improve and correct the mistakes of the network.
“Sana nabigyan pa ng pagkakataon ang mga namamahala na itama lahat ng pagkakamali. Si Sir Carlo Katigbak hindi pa gaanong katagal naming Chairman, pero napamahal sa amin dahil napakabuti at mapagkumbaba talagang tao. At magaling,” she said.
“Sana nagkaroon pa siya ng maraming taon na pagandahin pa ang pagpapatakbo ng ABS-CBN,” she added.
She praised the chairman for efficiently running the network and mentioned that she is proud of serving under him. Sharon also said that she will stand by Katigbak and will be loyal until the end when she said, “I told him in the beginning of the hearings that I WAS NOT GOING TO LEAVE MY CAPTAIN DURING THESE MOST TROUBLED TIMES. And I stayed loyal ‘til the end.”
Sharon said that she has experienced so many tragic things regarding the issue and decided to only speak up now. But she said that it was fine so that she will just have to suffer from one great pain instead of being hurt little by little.
The artist said that she will only focus on having peace of mind and existence and won’t let herself be affected by the negative things anymore. She expressed her gratitude for the people who continue to pray for her and for the ABS-CBN network as well.
“Bilog po ang mundo. At buhay na buhay ang Diyos. Siya ang may hawak at may alam ng lahat ng mangyayari bukas,” Sharon said.
The Megastar also spoke up about the trending #OustKiko campaign which targets her husband, Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, and have him ousted as the chair of the chamber’s committee on Constitutional amendments.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CCprAq6HJfo/?fbclid=IwAR0K9o98unnCktAHZ5MSOv84HVPevVtlmFRiGotodTQSyok1RO2PGGs01kc
Sharon came to the defense of her husband saying that she has to stand up for what is right for the sake of the man that she loves even though she doesn’t really want to post anything related to politics.
“Matagal ko na pinalampas ang mga pamimintas at masasakit na salita laban sa asawa ko, pero hindi na po kaya ng pamilya namin,” she said.
She showed that she cares for the well-being of her family especially for her children who according to her, didn’t ask to be born in their family.
She accused her husband’s bashers as going too far and wondered who will be the next target of the people.
“So sad. O, Pilipinas naming mahal…ano na ang ginagawa sa iyo…” Sharon wrote.
She ended her post with a hashtag of #enoughisenoughg that she will just leave everything in the hands of the Lord and prayed for their patience and peace of mind. She said that she trusts the Lord and will continue to believe that He will guide her and her family.
“At KAMI, NANANALIG SA KANIYA. Bilog ang mundo. At mapalad ang inaapi. God bless us all,” Sharon said.
