Rica Peralejo clapped back at a netizen who criticized her for supporting a blog page that “promoted homosexuality”.
It all started after a pop culture blog on Instagram, 90skabaklaan, posted a throwback poster of the 2000 youth-oriented TV show “H2K Girls”, featuring its cast, Rica, Anne Curtis, Mated de Leon, Vanna Garcia, and Aiza Marquez.
Both Rica and Anne commented on the throwback photo, drawing the attention of a netizen who criticized the former for supporting a blog that promotes “homosexuality”.
Even Rica’s husband who is a pastor, Joseph Bonifacio, was brought into the discussion.
The netizen’s comment read, “[S]orry Ms. Rica, pero [‘di ba] asawa kayo ng pastor? Bakit niyo sinusupport ang ganitong about [k]abaklaan. So pati mga 3rd gender allowed [n]a rin mag exist?? Sorry pero nakakaturn off lang Ms. Rica.”
The 42-year-old YouTube vlogger responded by expressing her dismay at the critic’s comment and defending the blog’s page.
“Bakit naman hindi sila pwede magexist eh nakakatawa nga mga post nila at nakakatuwa na balikan ang mga nakaraan[?],” she questioned.
“If [about] 3rd gender, grabe ka naman. Kailangan mamatay basta hindi pumasok na two genders mo, ganu’n ba? MU tayo. Turned off din ako sayo,” Peralejo clapped back at the user.
The critic continued to comment, suggesting that Rica should read the Bible again because there is no mention of a third gender.
“Sana lang basahin niyo ulit ang bible, walang nag eexist na 3rd gender sa bible. Baka lang nakakalimutan niyo po. Salamat,” the netizen told Rica.
Rica went on to emphasize that the Bible teaches both “truth and love” and criticized the “canceling” culture imposed by the user, which she claimed was “not of God”.
“[B]asahin mo din ulit to read truth AND love. No one is forcing you to believe what should or should be not, but canceling? Is not one of the Lord’s traits. Only humans do this unfortunately,” the celebrity mom corrected the netizen.
After the exchange, Rica shared multiple IG Stories as additional reactions to the issue.
She mentioned someone calling her out for “engaging with a netizen on a lower level” but expressed her reason for sharing her opinion on the matter.
Rica defended her decision to respond, stating, “I could have not answered. Or have been safer with my reply. BUT the human and Christian in me cannot be settled about a mindset that disqualifies the existence of another. That is a bit too much for me.”
While Rica acknowledged that not everyone may agree with the LGBTQIA community, she found the assertion that “they should not exist” as an extreme statement.
“To say it’s wrong in my opinion, or I do not agree, is different from THEY SHOULD NOT EXIST. Cancelling a group of people is different from saying I may not agree with them but they are still loved by God and I have better hopes for them, if yun talaga ang posisyon,” wrote Peralejo.
“Nashock lang talaga ako sa use of word nya na EXIST. You basically just implied their eradication if they should not change. It’s so far from how God is,” she added.
She expressed sadness over people being “judgmental,” “[M]y heart breaks every time someone is canceled just because they don’t fit the mold of the faith.”
Rica urged an end to such behavior and emphasized the importance of uplifting one another, in line with God’s teachings.
