Today on Twitter, “Pinoy Big Brother: Connect” housemate Justin Dizon is trending for a comment that disappointed his fans and friends.
In a live video streamed on the Kumu app, Dizon told fellow housemate Jie-Ann Armero, “Pinag-uusapan ka namin kasi di ka naliligo.” To this, she replied, “Wala akong pakialam.” Then, he told her to stay in place so he could dry his hands on the towel she had wrapped her hair with. He said, “‘Di ba ginagawa mo ‘yan sa ‘kin?” The two continued their banter which ended with Dizon telling Armero, “Sabagay, marumi ka nga pala.” Despite the two of them seemingly being close enough to poke fun at each other, netizens felt that the comments were way out of line.
Armero explained on the show that the reason she often didn’t get to take a bath at home in Saranggani is the lack of water in the area. “Yung tubig namin doon, [P12 kada container.] Yung container namin tatlo lang. [Pangsaing, panghugas at pang inom lang iyon.] Kaya minsan hindi po ako nakakaligo,” she said.
Netizens had various reactions to the exchange, ranging from demanding accountability for what Armero’s family goes through to criticisms directed at Dizon. Twitter user @powiecan wrote, “Let’s call out the [government] of Sarangani to provide the basic needs of [its] people! No one deserves what Jie-An has experienced. Marami pang tao ang nakakaranas [nito] ngayon[—]hindi lang sa Sarangani kundi sa iba pang parte ng bansa!”
Iloilo-based journalist @josephbamarzan asks, “How the hell is there still a water shortage in a district represented by someone said to be gunning for the presidency?” The netizen might have been referring to Sarangani Rep. Rogelio Pacquiao, brother of boxing champ and senator Manny Pacquiao who is said to have presidential ambitions.
Before joining PBB, Dizon was known for being outspoken on social media. Initially, he was seen as a controversial pick due to his posts criticizing Pres. Rodrigo Duterte and his supporters. In an interview with ABS-CBN, he talked about how LGBTQIA+ representation and discussions on human rights matter. Although Dizon said he hopes to use his platform on PBB for good, a number of netizens note that he has previously been called out multiple times. He has apologized for posts on his now-deleted Twitter account that have been deemed elitist.
Twitter user @alypalad said, “Justin Dizon is not the baklang kanal representation that we’re looking for, PBB. Telling someone, ‘Marumi ka nga pala,’ was extremely rude and [ill-mannered].” Dizon was pegged as the funny and palaban out-and-proud housemate but some have expressed being uncomfortable at having him as the face of social media activism on the show.
Many netizens have also been calling for Dizon to be evicted and replaced with Sassa Gurl. Sassa Gurl is a vlogger who’s known for making hilarious and political TikToks with vibes that many describe as “legitimately” baklang kanal.
Others also criticized Dizon for making a discriminatory remark despite claiming that he is against discrimination. A netizen posing as deathcare company St. Peter tweeted: “It’s funny that you cry foul over oppression yet you become [the] oppressor of others.”
We hope this issue puts to light how important it is to be aware of issues outside one’s particular advocacy. It isn’t wrong to want to focus your energy on raising awareness on an issue that feels closest to you. In Dizon’s case, it may be the plight of the LGBTQIA+ community. However, one must always consider that social issues are systemic and connected to one another. People who consider themselves advocates and activists should be consistent and as socially aware of other issues, especially poverty.
Art by Jan Cardasto
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