Vice Ganda’s performance skit, which spoofed the trending “Jet2holidays” TikTok sound and featured what many saw as a political jab during the first night of his “Superdivas” concert with Regine Velasquez, has gone viral and sparked mixed reactions online.
In the middle of the song performance of “Asia’s Songbird” Regine, Vice staged a skit inspired by a popular meme, which many interpreted as throwing shade at former president Rodrigo Duterte and the Diehard Duterte Supporters or DDS.
Regine opened the act by singing the line “Darling hold my hand,” while Vice entered with backup dancers carrying a “Jet Ski Holiday” tarpaulin.
“Nothing beats a jet ski holiday, right now from Manila to the West Philippine Sea via jet ski. Get unlimited water bombing from Chinese vessels and a free trip to The Hague by the ICC. Promo applies to DDS only. Pinklawans and BBMs are prohibited,” Vice quipped.
He ended it with an expletive remark mimicking Duterte’s strong speaking style, “Huwag niyo akong subukan, mga pu****i** niyo.”
The segment appeared to have parodied Duterte’s controversial “jet ski” campaign promise from 2016 when he said he would personally raise the Philippine flag on the disputed Spratly Islands. In 2021, Duterte dismissed the promise as a joke, calling those who believed it “stupid.”
It also referenced the political tension in the West Philippine Sea and the former president’s “detention” at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands.
Videos of the performance can be heard eliciting cheers and laughter from the live audience, but reactions online were split.
Supporters of the former president called the joke “in poor taste,” while others defended it as “satire,” pointing out that previous Philippine leaders also made offensive remarks without facing similar backlash.
Former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque criticized Vice Ganda and questioned his anger towards Duterte.
“Tayong mga Pilipino, kapag ang isang tao ay nakadapa na, hindi na sinisipa, Vice Ganda. Ang ginawa mo nasa sahig lang si Tatay Digong, nando’n na nakakulong na 80 anyos. Mamamatay na ‘ata sa kulungan, sinisipa-sipa mo pa,” he told the comedian.
“Anong kaligayahan ang nakukuha mo sa ganiyang gawain? Hindi ba dapat eh kung hindi mo siya pupuwedeng sabihan ng magaganda eh tumahimik ka na lang? Ang gusto mo ba talaga eh tirisin pa ‘yong tao na nakakulong na at 80 years old?” he added. “Hindi natutuwa ang taong-bayan na nakadapa na ‘yong tao, sinisipa-sipa mo pa.”
British national and avid Duterte supporter Malcolm Conlan posted a lengthy post on Facebook criticizing Vice Ganda’s sense of humor, while some supporters urged the Davao City government to declare the TV host-actor persona non grata.
“The reason why I decided I had to write to you however was mainly over the comment about ‘a free trip to The Hague via the ICC’. I find this comment inappropriate, grossly offensive and embarrassing. Mocking a former President of the Republic of the Philippines when he is at his lowest is not appropriate. What has he done to you Vice that you would stoop so low?” he wrote.
Conlan continued, “Sorry to say but your sense of humour is really low and uncalled for. I don’t know how this was allowed and I believe is disrespectful to a former president of the Republic of the Philippines. It was highly inappropriate for you to make fun of him over this and mock him and his supporters too.”
The British netizen concluded his post by urging Vice Ganda to “consider apologizing” for his “offensive behavior” on stage and advised him to “keep culture, entertainment and politics separate.”
On the other hand, Akbayan party-list Rep. Perci Cendaña defended Vice, calling his remarks meant to humor fans and audiences as not just a source of laughter but also a “wake-up call.”
“Speaking truth to power is most potent when it makes people laugh. Ibig sabihin, tagos na tagos at tusok na tusok. Laughter is not only the best medicine, it is also the best wake-up call,” said Cendaña in a video statement.
He thanked and expressed his support for Vice, adding, “Mabuhay ka Meme Vice! Maraming salamat sa pagpapatawa nang may pagmumulat at paninindigan. At kung sakaling ma-persona non grata ka, keri lang ‘yan. Dahil sa aming puso, Meme, ikaw ay persona bonggang-bongga.”
Writer Tim Timoteo also posted an open letter on Facebook accusing Duterte’s supporters of being “hypocritical” and having double standards given Duterte’s own history of crude jokes, lewd remarks and strong rhetoric condemned by human rights groups.
“Nung ikaw na ang bumanat, the bar is suddenly set to sainthood. Gigil na gigil na sila sayo 🤬 Sila, pwede. Ikaw, hindi. Pero diba, kung kaya ng mga DDS palampasin ang kabastusan, ang blasphemy, at rape jokes ng isang presidente, pero badtrip sa jetski at ICC joke ng isang baklang naka-wig, anong tawag dun? 😑 Mga ipokrito,” Timoteo’s post read.
Amid the debate between supporters and critics of Vice Ganda’s performance, some netizens pointed out that the comedian lost about a million Facebook followers, dropping from 20 million to 19 million. The comedian’s social media posts about the concert have also attracted huge numbers of angry reactions.
Meanwhile, Vice and Regine are set to return to the stage for the second night of their concert this Monday, August 11.
