Some members of the Philippine House of Representatives are giving netizens something to ridicule about during this time of crisis. This happened exactly after their failed attempt to portray themselves and other officials as frontliners in the fight against COVID-19.
The furor sparked when Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, and other lawmakers showed up at the plenary hall before the start of special session last 23 March holding banners that read: "Together with doctors and frontliners, we went to work for you, so please stay at home for us."
It didn't take long for the publicity stunt to backfire. Photos of the incident went viral, inspiring a slew of satirical memes from netizens.
"We meant well. Now if people will criticize us for meaning well, as long as we know what we did is right, then that’s OK," the Taguig-Pateros representative stressed.
Former Quezon representative Lorenzo Tañada III meanwhile said Filipinos owe the government officials nothing since it’s their job to serve the public.
"We owe them nothing. It is their job to work. They don’t need to hold a sign and announce to the Filipinos that they are working. Akala ba nila na dapat may utang na loob tayo sa kanila? Dapat wala. Self-sacrifice di ba! The doctors and frontliners don’t announce they are working," he said in a tweet.
The canvas isn't exactly blank, but Facebook users didn't need superb editing skills to vent their collective ire through memes. Here are just a few examples:
The furor sparked when Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, and other lawmakers showed up at the plenary hall before the start of special session last 23 March holding banners that read: "Together with doctors and frontliners, we went to work for you, so please stay at home for us."
It didn't take long for the publicity stunt to backfire. Photos of the incident went viral, inspiring a slew of satirical memes from netizens.
"We meant well. Now if people will criticize us for meaning well, as long as we know what we did is right, then that’s OK," the Taguig-Pateros representative stressed.
Former Quezon representative Lorenzo Tañada III meanwhile said Filipinos owe the government officials nothing since it’s their job to serve the public.
"We owe them nothing. It is their job to work. They don’t need to hold a sign and announce to the Filipinos that they are working. Akala ba nila na dapat may utang na loob tayo sa kanila? Dapat wala. Self-sacrifice di ba! The doctors and frontliners don’t announce they are working," he said in a tweet.
The canvas isn't exactly blank, but Facebook users didn't need superb editing skills to vent their collective ire through memes. Here are just a few examples:
