Transgender actress Awra Briguela has publicly apologized after responding harshly to a netizen who offered to serve as her interpreter during her recent trip to Vietnam.
The incident stemmed from the comments section of Briguela’s latest travel vlog, where a netizen wrote, “Sayang [hindi] tayo nagkita. Next time if you need interpreter just message me.”
Misinterpreting the comment as a jab at her English proficiency, Briguela fired back with the now-deleted reply, “Feeling. Hindi ka nga nakapag highschool.”
Following the backlash, Briguela issued a public apology, admitting that she had wrongly assumed the comment was meant to ridicule her.
“I already deleted my comment because I genuinely feel terrible about it. Mali ko po iyon,” she wrote.
The actress explained that the constant criticism she receives online has made her instinctively defensive whenever she encounters comments that she perceives as negative.
“Sa sobrang dami pong bash na natatanggap ko araw-araw, naging automatic na po ang initial reaction ko na lumaban o sumagot pabalik. Minsan, hindi ko na namamalayan na hindi na pala pangba-bash ang isang comment at sincere lang pala ang taong gusto akong tulungan,” she said.
Briguela added that the misunderstanding was also influenced by the numerous comments under her travel vlog criticizing her English-speaking skills and educational background.
“As you can see naman po sa comment section, marami pong nangba-bash sa English at grammar ko at may mga nagsasabing mukhang hindi raw ako nag-aaral. Dahil doon, mali ang naging interpretation ko sa comment niya. Akala ko po pinapahiya niya ako at sinasabing kailangan kong interpreter dahil sa English ko,” she explained.
Realizing her mistake, Briguela said she felt deeply embarrassed after learning that the netizen’s offer had been sincere, “Sobrang hiya ko po nang marealize kong mali ang pagkakaintindi ko at sincere lang pala ang intensyon niya.”
Awra stressed that she takes full responsibility for the incident and revealed that she had already reached out to apologize to both the commenter and the latter’s daughter.
“But again, I take full accountability for my actions. It was an honest mistake, but I know that doesn’t erase the hurt I caused. I have already reached out to sincerely apologize to her and to her daughter.”
She also vowed to be more mindful of her online interactions in the future, “I promise to do better moving forward. I will be more mindful, think before I speak or reply, and make sure I understand someone’s intentions first before reacting. Again, I’m truly sorry.”
In the comments section of Briguela’s apology, a netizen, who introduced herself as the daughter of the commenter, shared that her mother had accepted the apology and continues to support the actress.
“Hello! My mom already read your apology, and she accepted it. I hope everyone can move on from this too. I hope this serves as a lesson. [By the way] my mom is still rooting for you,” the response read.
Briguela replied by expressing remorse over her actions, saying, “Your mom doesn’t deserve that kind of attitude. I feel sorry for your mom.”
Following the exchange, some netizens encouraged Briguela to consider taking a break from social media, saying it could help her cope with the rampant online criticism she receives and avoid similar misunderstandings in the future.
