MANILA, Philippines – Netizens are once again heating up over Glorious actor Tony Labrusca.
This time, however, it's not because of an intimate screen scene but of the attitude he reportedly showed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) on Thursday, January 3.
In a now-deleted tweet, the actor wrote: “Just landed in Manila and the Philippine Immigration only gave me 30 days here. LOL.”
Following the incident, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Friday, January 4, released a statement.
“The celebrity, who the agency refused to name, is an American passport holder who reportedly shouted expletives when he was only given a 30-day stay. He was allegedly furious at immigration for giving him a hard time, despite him being a celebrity, with people wanting to take pictures with him,” it said.
For Twitter user @hoysuing, people must not tolerate foreigners like Labrusca who disrespect Philippines airport officials “for doing their job.”
{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">We must not tolerate foreigners like Tony Labrusca who make money out of us just for having abs, and then go on to disrespect our fellow Filipinos, officials no less, for doing their job. <br><br>Deport the asshole.</p>— i argue for fun.(@hoysuing) <a href="https://twitter.com/hoysuing/status/1081064345822420992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2019</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>{/source}
Meanwhile, Twitter user @mcvillaranda said it was ironic to see Labrusca disrespecting immigration officers given the fact that he was born and raised in the United States — “a country where people give extra respect to uniformed men.”
{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Ironical na si Tony Labrusca who was born and bred in the US where people respect people in uniform had the guts to disrespect immigration officers of the country where he was trying to seek balikbayan admission since he’s of Filipino decent. Pero binastos niya.</p>— Charise(@mcvillaranda) <a href="https://twitter.com/mcvillaranda/status/1080841811994656768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2019</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>{/source}
Attacking identity irrelevant
Hours after the incident, screenshots of a comment on Labrusca’s Instagram post circulated online.
A certain @brandonbrandonmendoza said Labrusca was with his boyfriend, who tried to pacify him, but the actor ignored him.
{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Just saw this comment on the IG of Tony Labrusca post Immigration row. <a href="https://t.co/hFoiTWOvGx">pic.twitter.com/hFoiTWOvGx</a></p>— Ar Nel G. TamaGos (@ArnelGenito) <a href="https://twitter.com/ArnelGenito/status/1081183519697596417?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Film director Kip Oebanda said Mendoza’s comment about Labrusca being gay was irrelevant, saying, “2019 na, utak 1719 pa rin (It’s 2019, but the mindset dates back to 1719)."
{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I get that what Tony Labrusca allegedly did was bad, but how are these allegations of homosexuality relevant to his character? 2019 na utak 1719 pa rin.</p>— Kip Oebanda (@kipoebanda) <a href="https://twitter.com/kipoebanda/status/1081127952312459264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2019</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>{/source}
This was echoed by Twitter user @_itsmetonton, who said people should just focus on the issue.
{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Yes, what he did is wrong butttt outing him is uncalled for. Also, people should focus on the issue and the fact that Tony Labrusca is an asshole not that he is gay or not. <a href="https://t.co/LEUb3GsSsc">https://t.co/LEUb3GsSsc</a></p>— tapsyy(@_itsmetonton) <a href="https://twitter.com/_itsmetonton/status/1081110188797489152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2019</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>{/source}
Netizens said what the actor did was wrong but shaming him for his supposed sexual orientation was a “low blow.”
@realtalkbitch10 said it was unacceptable for Mendoza, whom he claimed to be a government employee, to expose something personal which was beside the point.
{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Leaking personal information of Tony Labrusca in social media by a government employee is a BIG NO ! You need to be responsible about you post about your job !<br><br>Call a lawyer while it’s early ! <a href="https://t.co/jr5E6lcK9e">pic.twitter.com/jr5E6lcK9e</a></p>— Daisy Duck (@realtalkbitch10) <a href="https://twitter.com/realtalkbitch10/status/1081096665564672000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2019</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>{/source}
Labrusca apologizes
A day after the incident, Labrusca took to Twitter to apologize.
{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="und" dir="ltr"><a href="https://t.co/ymxuqBspua">pic.twitter.com/ymxuqBspua</a></p>— Tony Labrusca (@tonythesharky) <a href="https://twitter.com/tonythesharky/status/1081184995639582720?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2019</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>{/source}
Though sorry for taking out his frustrations on immigration officer, the actor denied the allegations hurled against him.
"It was very upsetting for me. And I'm sorry that somehow, I took my frustrations out on the officer. But never did I ever call anyone stupid, nor an idiot much less brag about being a celebrity. I know for a fact that the officer is merely doing her job. My biggest mistake perhaps was letting my emotion get the better of me and again, I'm sorry," he said.
Here are some of the other tweets about the incident.
{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I bet Tony Labrusca is one of those FilAms who says they know what Filipino culture is because they ate Jollibee 5 years ago <a href="https://t.co/N6mdnKYBAb">pic.twitter.com/N6mdnKYBAb</a></p>— Jessica Brown (@jesssicabroown) <a href="https://twitter.com/jesssicabroown/status/1080982179637850112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2019</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>{/source}
{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Am i reading these online craze right? People are too focus on Tony Labrusca's alleged boyfriend and his sexuality? Shaming him for his alleged sexuality and his foreign status? That online post of an immigration official is sooo tabloid level, very vindictive.</p>— RHADEM (@TheMuslimGayGuy) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheMuslimGayGuy/status/1081082459050180608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2019</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>{/source}
{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The Tony Labrusca incident shows how social media is powerful, but can be used improperly.<br><br>Tony, it showed the world your ignorance & sense of entitlement. You learned a lesson in a very public way.<br><br>To the person who outed Tony: may ur GF tell the world how small your dick is.</p>— Kuya.Kean (@Keansworld1) <a href="https://twitter.com/Keansworld1/status/1081148156983750657?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2019</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>{/source}
{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Yes Tony labrusca's alleged act is quite alarming and to others as disappointing. Maybe we should also know his side of the story before jumping into conclusions.</p>— Sarah Casuga (@sarahcasuga) <a href="https://twitter.com/sarahcasuga/status/1081105791837364225?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2019</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>{/source}
{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The tale of a guy with abs, and good looks. Pero walang manners at feeling very entitled. It is also a tale of fans who are blinded by their idol.<br><br>aka Tony Labrusca.</p>— romulo sotelo (@marklesterrific) <a href="https://twitter.com/marklesterrific/status/1080975120867385344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2019</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>{/source}
{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">tony labrusca serving us privileged amboy realness at the start of 2019 <a href="https://t.co/EqdhpkZiOf">pic.twitter.com/EqdhpkZiOf</a></p>— g (@grasyalav) <a href="https://twitter.com/grasyalav/status/1081003930023129088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2019</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>{/source}
{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">okay people get it, tony labrusca was rude and he has to face the consequences.<br><br>but bro, leaking private information that is not even integral to what happened is just... low.<br><br>and now people are bashing him, using his sexuality and stuff, okay ka na? <br><br>you're a flimsy fish.</p>— Kyuji Watanabe. (@kyujiewatanabe) <a href="https://twitter.com/kyujiewatanabe/status/1081134837472276482?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2019</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>{/source}
{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Can we go back to Tony Labrusca's misdemeanour and not try to out the guy? It doesn't matter if you "know" for "sure", it has nothing to do with acting like a dick.</p>— ΑΛΔ (@makadiwata) <a href="https://twitter.com/makadiwata/status/1081041344934506496?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2019</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>{/source}
{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Attack Tony Labrusca for what he was; an asshole. But outing him? Come on. That’s pretty low.</p>— nico (@nicoalano_) <a href="https://twitter.com/nicoalano_/status/1081053611465920513?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2019</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>{/source}
{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">What tony labrusca did was disrespectful but I don't get how him having a boyfriend should be included in the narrative. So he has a boyfriend, maybe he's gay/ bi/ another gender, but some people are really focusing on that?? Focus on how he's being a dick not on how he uses it.</p>— ☾ (@jrflmr) <a href="https://twitter.com/jrflmr/status/1081145214184480769?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2019</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>{/source}
– Rappler.com