Angelica Panganiban has spoken candidly about the long-running rumors labeling her a “lasinggera,” admitting that the issue deeply hurt her, especially during one of the most difficult periods of her life.
In an interview on ‘The B Side’ aired on Cinema One, the Kapamilya actress addressed the gossip head-on and revealed how it affected not just her, but also her family.
“Alam mo, may tsismis sa akin na lasenggera ako. Parang manginginom, ‘yong ganoon. Naku, pinagngingitngitan ‘yan ng nanay ko,” Angelica shared.
While she said there are rumors she can easily brush off, she admitted that this particular label struck a nerve. The situation worsened when some netizens linked her health condition to alcohol consumption.
Angelica was previously diagnosed with avascular necrosis in her hips, a serious condition caused by poor blood flow to the bone. During that time, she said she was deeply hurt by comments suggesting that her illness was self-inflicted.
“Ako, for me, especially noong nagkasakit ako sa hips, kasi kapag ni-research mo ‘yong avascular necrosis [of the hip], isa siya sa puwede maging cause ng sakit ko,” she explained. “Alam mo, hurt na hurt ako nu’n noong nagco-comment ‘yong mga tao na ‘lasinggera kasi ‘yan e, kaya siya nagkaganyan.’ Na parang guys, nabuntis ako.”
She clarified that although alcohol can be a possible cause in some cases, it was not the reason behind her condition. “Hindi naging maganda ‘yong blood flow ng balakang ko kaya ako nagkaroon ng sakit sa buto,” she stressed.
Angelica said what made the comments more painful was that she was already dealing with physical suffering when she was judged by strangers online.
“Grabe rin minsan ‘yong mga magco-comment na lang e ‘no, ‘yong may sakit ka na nga tapos nasabihan ka pang lasinggera ka, pariwara ‘yong buhay ko noon. Kayo naman,” she said.
Still, the actress managed to respond with humor and sarcasm to those quick to judge her lifestyle. “Nakainuman ko na ba kayo para sabihin n’yo sa ‘king grabe ako uminom? Grabe naman kayo. ‘Di ba puwedeng tumambay lang din ako?” she quipped.
Angelica also shared that her health condition required multiple surgeries, including hip decompression and hip replacement procedures on both sides, which significantly delayed her return to acting.
“I had to do so many surgeries. Hip decompression and hip replacement on my left side and then on my right. And then nag-recover pa so ang dami talagang pinagdaanan,” she recalled.
Despite the challenges, Angelica said she remained patient and waited for the right project to mark her comeback. That opportunity came with ‘UnMarry’, her return film and an official entry to the Metro Manila Film Festival 2025.
“So nu’ng may mga projects na ino-offer, parang naghihintay lang din talaga ako ng tamang project na magpapa-oo sa akin,” she said, emphasizing that she wanted to give her full commitment. “Para wala kang kahit one percent na regret… talagang isang daan.”
