Senator Migz Zubiri issued an apology to the family of late entertainment columnist Inday Badiday after mentioning her name during a heated Senate discussion that later drew criticism from her grandson, television personality I.C. Mendoza.
The controversy stemmed from Monday’s Senate plenary session, where Zubiri criticized a video presentation by Senator Imee Marcos alleging that Senate Minority Leader Tito Sotto was supposedly involved in efforts to push Charter change and term extensions.
Calling the presentation “horrible propaganda,” Zubiri questioned the tone of the proceedings.
“Inday Badiday na ba tayo rito sa Senado? Kaya nga sinasabi, ‘we’re circus,’” Zubiri said during the session.
The remark prompted a response from I.C. Mendoza, who posted an open letter on social media asking the senator not to drag his grandmother’s legacy into political exchanges.
“Please do not disrespect the legacy of my late mommy Luds,” Mendoza wrote.
While acknowledging that Inday Badiday was widely known for entertainment intrigues during her time, Mendoza said it was painful to see her name associated with “fake news peddlers.”
“It just felt off seeing her memory associated with fake news peddlers. Kaya that’s what caught us by surprise,” he said.
Mendoza also stressed the contribution of his grandmother to Philippine entertainment journalism and pop culture.
“Reducing her name and legacy to describe the ‘circus’ happening in the Senate is offensive,” he added.
“Ang tagal nang patay ng lola ko. Please leave her out of your political commentaries and analogies.”
On Tuesday, Zubiri clarified that he never intended to disrespect Inday Badiday’s memory and apologized to the family.
“I never meant to disrespect her memory or reduce her legacy to politics,” Zubiri said.
“Tama si IC Mendoza, dapat hindi na nadamay ang lola niya sa usaping pulitika. Kaya muli, I apologize deeply to the family and I will be more mindful moving forward,” he added.
