Viral “Sexy Babe” contestant Heart Aquino has broken her silence following the widespread attention she received online after her response to a question about the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) on It’s Showtime.
This came after her visit to the poll body’s main office in Intramuros last Tuesday.
“Mas naunawaan ko po ‘yung meaning talaga ng Comelec and kung ano pa po talaga ‘yung ginagawa nila, and ine-encourage ko po na mas alamin po natin ‘yung trabaho ng Comelec,” Heart told the media in an interview after her guided tour.
In the same interview at the COMELEC office, she pleaded for netizens to stop the bashing and negative comments directed at her.
Aquino explained that while she had some knowledge about the government agency, she experienced a “mental block” during the live segment.
“Hindi lang po ako masyadong knowledgeable, pero meron naman po akong kaalaman. Na-mental block lang din po ako since first appearance ko sa TV, and medyo nakakakaba po talaga kapag nasa television,” the candidate clarified.
Aquino also shared her personal struggles, revealing that she has been focused on providing for her remaining family since becoming an orphan at a young age.
“Ayun lang po ‘yung pinakaiisip ko, kung paano ko po mabubuhay yung lola ko at kapatid ko po,” she said, responding to questions about her lack of knowledge regarding COMELEC.
Addressing the backlash, she urged people to be more understanding and mindful of their words, “Kaya sa mga bumabatikos po, sana intindihin din po muna nila and alamin po nila yung reason po kung bakit hindi ko po siya nasagot.
“Stop na po. Hindi n’yo po alam yung effect nito sa mga taong bina-bash. Be careful po sa mga words din po minsan.”
Heart also took the opportunity to encourage young people to educate themselves about the electoral process and the importance of “voting wisely”.
“Mensahe ko po sa mga kabataan, lalo na rin po sa mga kagaya ko na hindi knowledgeable sa COMELEC, is alamin po natin and mag-vote po tayo wisely. Para din sa atin yun,” she advised her fellow young and future voters.
During the event, COMELEC Director Frances Arabe acknowledged Heart’s potential to influence the youth and saw her as a bridge to help educate young voters.
“Si Heart kasi nakikita namin na pwede siyang maging influence sa youth, para sa mga ibang kabataan din who are not so knowledgeable about COMELEC. We would like to show that COMELEC is willing to reach out to the youth,” said Arabe.
Aquino expressed her willingness to use her platform to spread awareness about voter education.
“Since nandito na rin po ako, why not use the attention na nakukuha ko to enlighten ang mga kabataan?” she said.
Additionally, Aquino also shared that she is open to becoming a COMELEC ambassador, to further emphasize her commitment to voter awareness and youth engagement in the electoral process.
