Actor-turned-politician Arron Villaflor, now serving as a provincial board member of Tarlac’s second district, became the subject of online chatter after his social media post calling for prayers for Cebu went viral.
Following the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that devastated Cebu on September 30, Villaflor shared an art card with the words “Pray for Cebu and those affected by the earthquake.” The graphic also featured his own photo in a prayerful pose, which drew both sympathy and ridicule from netizens.
In his caption, Villaflor wrote:
“Taos-puso po akong nakikiramay at nananalangin para sa lahat ng naapektuhan ng malakas na lindol sa Cebu at mga karatig na lugar. Sa gitna ng takot at pinsala, naniniwala akong ang pagkakaisa, malasakit, at pananampalataya ang magsisilbing ilaw ng bawat pamilyang nasalanta. Nais kong ipagdasal ang mabilis na pagbangon, kaligtasan ng lahat, at agarang aksyon mula sa pamahalaan at mga ahensya ng serbisyong panlipunan.”
While some netizens appreciated his gesture, many criticized the execution, likening his image to ABS-CBN’s 2009 teleserye character Santino from ‘May Bukas Pa’, played by Zaijian Jaranilla.
“Santino lang ang peg? Patron saint of earthquake ikaw ba yan?” one comment read. Others called the post “very trapo vibes,” questioning why his face had to be included in what was meant to be a message of solidarity.
Comedian Beki Mon even quipped: “Kakanood niya yan kay Santino noong araw.”
Supporters, however, defended Villaflor, saying his intention was clear and that netizens were simply being harsh. “Wala naman siyang gustong mangyari kundi ipag-pray ang Cebu. Kayo talaga ang harsh nyo,” one user commented.
Amid the backlash, Villaflor quietly deleted the post from his Facebook and Instagram accounts, though screenshots had already circulated online, further fueling the debate.
Meanwhile, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported that as of Thursday morning, October 2, at least 170,000 individuals in Central Visayas have been affected by the earthquake. Cebu Province has since been placed under a state of calamity, with 72 reported dead and 300 injured, most of the casualties recorded in Bogo City, the quake’s epicenter.
