ABS-CBN headwriter and vlogger Darla Sauler has found herself at the center of controversy after sharing a photo of herself with Kapamilya star Toni Gonzaga on Instagram.
In the now-viral post, Darla announced an interview with Toni for her YouTube vlog, captioning it with, “Toni Talks from the (heart emoji) link in BIO.”
However, the announcement drew ire from some netizens, who took issue with Darla’s decision to interview Toni, whom they accused of betraying ABS-CBN in the past.
Comments on Darla and Toni’s photo varied, with many expressing disappointment and anger:
ABS CBN MANAGEMENT, PLS. KICK DARLA OUT OF YOUR NETWORK FOR DISSERVICE TO THE COMPANY AND DONT EVER HIRE TONI GONZAGA AGAIN. REMEMBER HER CAMPAIGNING HARD.FOR MARCOLEKTA, A PUBLIC ENEMY NO. 1!!!
— Cute Cannine (@CannineCute) February 22, 2024
Some netizens mentioned the context of the situation, citing Toni’s involvement in promoting Rodante Marcoleta during the last elections, along with other politicians proud of shutting down ABS-CBN. They highlighted the thousands of ABS-CBN employees who lost their jobs and the millions who relied on the network during the pandemic but were left without its programming after the shutdown.
Despite the backlash, some came to Darla’s defense:
Not because nag-guest si Darla @darLasauLer sa “ToniTalks” ay traydor na siya sa ABS-CBN.
Unang-una hindi naman pinagbabawal ng company na maging kaibigan si Toni Gonzaga at lumabas sa mga shows at movies na ipo-produce nito.
Rights ni Darla ang mamimili ng kaibigan. ✨️
— Byx Speaks 🇵🇭🇹🇼🇨🇳🇰🇷🇹🇭🇬🇧🏳️🌈 (@byxbuzz) February 21, 2024
The uproar stemmed from Toni’s resignation from ‘Pinoy Big Brother’ on ABS-CBN during the UniTeam’s proclamation rally. This move led to intense criticism from supporters of the Kapamilya Network, who felt betrayed by Toni’s actions.