MANILA – Actress-host Isabelle Daza has been criticized for purportedly using a ‘foul’ and ‘offensive’ hashtag she captioned in an Instagram photo of her and her cousin in Siquijor.
Daza captioned the photo ‘We’re here to insta! Lol #siquiWhores #dumagetiton.’
Several netizens reacted negatively with the hashtag, saying it was and ‘insensitive’ and ‘inappropriate’ term.
Days after her post, Siquijor Vice-Governor Dingdong Avanzado expressed concern over Daza’s hashtag and called on the actress to explain her intention with her use of the word.
“It has come to my attention that the Instagram account @isabelledaza, which appears to be owned by actress Isabelle Diaz Daza, has posted a travel photo with the hashtag #siquiWhores,” Avanzado’s said in a statement.
“Before jumping into conclusions, I would like to hear directly from Ms. Daza whether the offensive term #siquiWhores is a description of herself and her companion or a judgment to my beloved people of Siquijor,” the statement continued.
Avanzado worried about how the term could affect the reputation of the province’s residents.
“As the vice-governor of the province, I am worried on how such a foul and offensive word would damage the reputation of the Siquijodnons in the long-run. I believe every citizen of Siquijor deserves a clarification from Ms. Daza on the matter.#siquijor,” he said.
Daza has not aired her side in Instagram but has explained to Avanzado regarding her intention on the hashtag, which she used in jest and endearment. She has also apologized to the residents of Siquijor.
Avanzado then urged the people to accept the apology and move on from the controversy.
“Actress Isabelle Daza has already explained that the hashtag #siquiWhores was merely ‘a joke’ and is a ‘term of endearment’ between her and her cousins. Likewise, she apologized to the people of Siquijor who may have been offended by such a term,” Avanzado said in a more recent statement.
“I encourage the netizens and the people of Siquijor to accept her apology, move on, and focus our time and efforts on more important concerns that our nation faces today,” the statement continued.
Daza, on the other hand, posted a new photo of the book titled “Brand Aid,” also in Instagram.
She captioned the photo ‘How ironic is it that I’m reading this book right now?’