After Pilipinas Got Talent’s episode last Saturday, Robin Padilla, one of the four judges in the show, found himself under fire after netizens called him “rude and racist”.
Netizens on Facebook and Twitter expressed their disappointment towards Padilla and his treatment to one of the auditionees named Kim Jiwan, a South Korean magician who grew up, studied, and lived in the Philippines.
During the interview portion, Kim told Vice Ganda, another judge, that he cannot speak Filipino because the language was not taught at the international school he attended.
Vice Ganda then jokingly told Kim to start his performance so that he could already stop talking in English.
When Kim began his act, he asked Padilla to be the subject of his magic trick – a request that the action star quickly declined.
“I’m very sorry but you cannot use me. Firstly, mag-tagalog ka muna bago mo ako kausapin,” Padilla told the Korean contestant.
“Iho, Pilipinas Got Talent [ang show na ito]. Mag-tagalog ka kasi magmumukha kaming katawa-tawa kung mag-e-english kami dito para sa’yo. Pilipinas. Got. Talent. Mag-tagalog ka, iho,” he added.
Actress and co-judge Angel Locsin was quick to help the contestant. Locsin volunteered for Kim to do his magic trick on her, instead of Padilla.
After the episode aired, many Filipino netizens quickly lambasted Padilla for his behavior toward the contestant. Some said that it was inappropriate for him to force a foreigner to speak in Filipino.
Netizens also expressed that Filipinos who audition for talent competitions abroad do not get the kind of treatment that Padilla has given Kim.
In an untelevised interview, the actor responded by saying:
“Wala akong pinagsisisihan kasi ako, pumupunta din ako ng ibang bansa. Kapag pumunta ako ng ibang bansa, pinipilit kong malaman kung ano yung salita nila doon kasi bisita ka don eh; ikaw ang makikibagay.
Kung pupunta ka dito sa Pilipinas at uutusan mo kami at i-english-in mo kami, ay baka nagkakamali ka. Bayan ko to at handa akong mamatay anytime para sa bayan ko, kaya kung sasabihin mo sa akin na sampung taon ka na dito at hindi ka pa rin marunong mag-tagalog, aba eh may problema ka.
Hindi mo pwedeng sabihin sa akin na mahal mo ang Pilipinas. Sabi niya [Kim Jowan] na mahal niya ang Pilipinas, may girlfriend siyang Pilipina pero di siya marunong mag-tagalog?
May kilala akong Korean dito, si Ryan Bang. Mas magaling pa sa akin mag-tagalog.”
Padilla also gave a message those who criticized his words and actions in the show:
“Ganon talaga! Eh di mahalin nila ‘yung Korean kung gusto nila. Wala namang problema sa akin ‘yon eh. Magpakamatay pa sila para sa Koreano, kung gusto nila. Wala namang problema doon.”
Padilla said that Filipinos need to remind themselves to be patriotic and to stick to their national roots.
“Kung tayong mga Pilipino, hindi tayo magiging patriotic sa bansa natin, eh wag tayong humingi ng pagbabago, di ba? Kung tayo, patuloy tayong magiging alipin ng mga dayuhan, eh kayo na lang. Hindi ako magpapa-alipin sa dayuhan. Hindi mangyayari ‘yon. Ako ang hari dito dahil bansa ko ‘to,” he said.
