By Rie Realingo
The Nation’s Girl Group, BINI, is facing some controversy for wearing sunglasses, hats and face masks during their arrival at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport in Cebu.
In a recently posted video in Facebook by a fan page, the girls stood out among the throng of passengers exiting the airport with their security escorts and get-ups.
Another post with a different angle of the arrival also showed the BINI members acknowledging and waving at fans who waited and screamed for their names.
Despite that, there are Pinoy netizens who are taking issue with their airport OOTDs and comparing them with other popular Filipino artists.
“OA na feeling KPOP na (r)in haha, (hu)wag sana lumaki ulo. Pinay kayo pinay, (hindi) Korean ok(ay)? 👌🏻,” a netizen said in the comment section.
“Ka-OA ba, feeling na sikat na sikat ahahaha KPOP na KPOP. Balutin niyo (r)in (mukha) niyo sa concert ha, para tapunan kayo ng kamatis ng mga taga-Cebu,” another added.
Another self-confessed “fan,” Facebook user Tio Moreno, criticized the group in a viral Facebook post, and compared them to another Filipino pop star royalty, Sarah Geronimo.
He wrote, “(Sarah) continues to meet the expectations of her supporters and fans with her humility. She never acts like a ‘disney princess,’ whether at the airport or as a guest at events. Her humility sets her apart from others.”
“I hope BINI will follow her example,” he concluded his post, with photos attached of the celebrities, Sarah and the P-pop group.
The Facebook user tried to justify his statement by saying that the girls are “public figures” and are bound to get criticism, that is why fans should stop defending the group every chance they get and know that it is not always right.
Some netizens came to the group’s defense, stating, “Why do we always feel entitled sa fan service sa celebrities even outside their work? If they don’t feel like showing their bare faces on that day then who are we to take that freedom away from them? Stop clout chasing. And for the record, I’m not even a BINI fan.”
In a reddit forum, commenters were saying that wearing such things is normal and can be for health purposes, so they should not be criticized nor even questioned.
“Anong masama mag-facemask eh normal na nga dapat yan given na galing tayo sa covid? 🥲,” a reddit user said.
“Pag may mask, feeling sikat. Pag wala at nakitang walang makeup at mukhang pagod, todo okray naman sa looks. 🙄 You really can’t win with people na epal at mema lang,” another said commenting on the toxic fan culture.
BINI members have not spoken yet regarding the issue. However, BINI Colet recently posted various photos of her wearing a mask and shades in her X account.
Fans are assuming it is her way of lowkey getting back at bashers by simply being unbothered, and they are loving it.
