MMDA Spokesperson Celine Pialago during a media forum in Quezon City on February 4, 2020. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News
MANILA - Metropolitan Manila Development Authority spokesperson Celine Pialago on Monday stood by her social media post that detained activist Reina Mae Nasino deserved tight security during her daughter's burial.
Pialago clarified that the "drama serye" she was referring to were people who were "capitalizing" on Nasino's situation.
"What I’m pointing out during that time ay 'yung mga tao na nanamantala dun sa sitwasyon ni Ms. (Reina). Hindi po ito ang paghihinagpis ng isang ina kasi 'yung iba ho ang tingin eh inaatake ko po ang pagkawala ng anak ni Ms. (Reina)," she told ABS-CBN's Teleradyo.
(What I’m pointing out during that time are the people who are taking advantage of Ms. Reina's situation, not the grief of a mother, which some people thought I was attacking.)
"Drama lang po ito ng mga taong sumasakay, nagkacapitalize sa issue ho ni Ms. (Reina) para manipula ang ibang tao."
(It's just drama of people who are riding and capitalizing on her issue to manipulate other people.)
Pialago, an army reservist, said she would apologize to those who found her "drama serye" remark insensitive but maintained she understands why Nasino was surrounded by dozens of armed guards as she laid her daughter to rest.
"Dun naman po sa pamilya, kung magaapologize po ako sa salita na drama serye sa paghihinagpis niya bilang isang ina, I’m sorry. But for who you are, kung sino ka, kung bakit ka madaming security that I won’t apologize," she said.
(To the family, if I will apologize for the word drama serye pertaining to her grief as a mother, I'm sorry. But for who you are and why she has many security details, that I won't apologize for.)
"For the ‘drama serye’ na akala mo tinutuligsa kita bilang isang ina that I am sorry. But for the rest of my post hindi po."
(I am sorry that the word 'drama serye' may have given the impression I was attacking you as a mother. But I'm not sorry for the rest of my post.)
Pialago also clarified that she only has 7 administrators on her Facebook page, including 2 brothers aged 19 and 25. Facebook allows a maximum of 12 administrators, she added.
One of her brothers was the one who mistakenly commented that she had 70 administrators and has since been removed from the account, Pialago said.
"Wala po akong pinapasahod na admin, most of them are personal assistant, staff, and 2 brothers," she said. "On that point I would like to apologize, di po na-check 'yan at di ako naging responsible on that matter."
(I don't give salary to may admins, most of them are personal assistant, staff, and 2 brothers. On that point I would like to apologize, I was not able to check it and was irresponsible on that matter.)
Teleradyo, Celine Pialago, Reina Mae Nasino, River Nasino, Baby River, River Nasino burial