The ABS-CBN shutdown is a blow to 11,000 employees and the state of our press freedom. Of course, a lot of public figures have reacted—but none of them went off like Coco Martin.
In his latest Instagram posts, the “Ang Probinsyano” actor released long statements—in all caps, no less—regarding the shutdown. “Pasensya na po dahil hindi ko na mapigilan ang sobrang galit na nararamdaman ko,” read Coco’s Instagram post. “Nakakapagod nang manahimik at magpigil kung ang mga nasa paligid mo naman ay mga walang-pusong tao.”
Meme all you want about “Ang Probinsyano” or Martin’s lisp (since y’all are into THAT), but that won’t stop Cardo Dalisay ’gram blasting the injustice with his words instead of a .45 caliber.
A lot of celebrities have been hashtagging away and sharing their experiences. Yup, even pro-Duterte celebrities like Alex Gonzaga have mourned the loss of their station. But no one tackled the situation like Coco Martin. In his posts, he talked about the jobs his co-workers lost, refused to remain silent about injustice, and questioned authority when the abuse of power is apparent.
“Mahirap magsawalang-kibo sa mga taong katulad ninyo na patuloy na nang-aabuso,” writes Coco. “Hindi man ako kasing talino ng iba, alam ko at malinaw sa akin na mali at kawalang katarungan ang tanggalan ng hanapbuhay ang ilang libong empleyado ng isang kumpanyang naglilingkod sa sambayanang Pilipino ng ilang dekada.”
We only watch “Ang Probinsyano” during bus rides (not gonna lie). Still, Coco Martin has our respect. He is so well-known that he even managed to steal national treasure, Apo Whang-Od’s heart. He did not sugarcoat his anger—and this is the energy we need right now.
Read more: So, ‘Ang Probinsyano’ has finally reached Netflix. Can we have ‘Daisy Siete’ now?
“Such strongly-worded statements from celebrities are unusual in the [Philippines], even as ‘Ang Probinsyano’ yields quite some political influence, so much so that police tried to censor it in 2018,” tweets The Washington Post journalist Regine Cabato. “Cardo Dalisay is coming for your neck, guys.”
Read more:
Hot takes straight from the “troll farm,” ABS-CBN shutdown edition
While ABS-CBN gets shut down, hold the government accountable for these issues too
Why you should stand with ABS-CBN
Still from “Ang Probinsyano”