Vlogger draws flak for discriminating two female Lumads
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 04 March) – The Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representative (IPMR) to the city council here condemned Tuesday the vlogger who discriminated and forced fellow IPs or Lumads to dance for his content production.
Originally posted on Sunday afternoon by Davao-based content creator Rico Punla, also known as Tor Bagtik, the video is now deleted, but there are still saved versions where it can be seen that Punla made two IP elders dance before giving them one-peso coins.
The vlogger said in the video: “Okay ra ni manabang ta sa mga taong luoy nga luod (It’s okay to help these people who are pitiful and disgusting).”
He then gave the two elders coins.
Sought for comments on the video, Councilor Rodolfo Mande, IPMR ex-officio member, told reporters in an ambush interview: “Ang kanang gihimo niya, dako na siyang sala, ang iyang pagyaga-yaga sa among mga kaliwat dako na siya nga sala… Wala mi nalipay sa iyang gihimo, ang tibuok tribo sa Mindanao particularly na sa Davao.”
(What he did was a big mistake. His jokes toward our fellow IPs is a grave sin. … We are not pleased with his actions – the entire indigenous peoples in Mindanao, especially in Davao, are condemning this.)
Mande, a Matigsalug, said that he is willing to meet the vlogger personally, but added that he will wait for the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) first to take action against the content creator.
He said the city council will also summon Tor Bagtik to make him realize that making a mockery on lumads comes with consequences.
On Monday afternoon, the vlogger issued an apology video captioned “SORRY PO LUMAD.” He went back to the IPs who he made to dance. He said “we should not discriminate them, let us help them.” He then gave them 100-peso bills.
“I’m a joker. If I made a mistake, forgive me,” he said in Binisaya.
Aljun Cayawan, an Agusanon-Manobo datu and Sibagat, Agusan del Sur municipal councilor, said Tor Bagtik must be declared a persona non grata and needs to personally apologize to a tribal council and not just the two IP elders, “as you disrespected all the Lumads.”
His apology video drew 121,000 views, 4,700 reactions and 951 comments as of 3:19 p.m. on Tuesday, March 4.
In a statement, the United Moro and Indigenous People Movement (UMIP) also condemned Tor Bagtik for disrespecting the two IP elders when he called them “luoy na luod” (pitiful and disgusting).
The group identified the two Lumads as members of the Ata ethnic group.
UMIP said Tor Bagtik’s remarks were discriminatory and against the values of inclusivity and respect in Davao City.
“While we acknowledge the public apology issued by Tor Bagtik and accept it in the spirit of reconciliation, this incident should serve as a strong reminder that creating social media content should never come at the expense of another person’s dignity. Gaining popularity through the degradation of others is an inhumane act that has no place in a city that prides itself on respect and unity,” the group stressed. (Ian Carl Espinosa / MindaNews)
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