Some remarks made by Sen. Pia Cayetano during a Senate plenary session on Wednesday, May 20, about the well-being of senators and employees present during the Senate shooting inspired posts from some personalities, brands and institutions online.
In a sudden outburst on Wednesday, the senator lamented that none of their colleagues from the minority bloc had allegedly asked about their welfare following the shooting incident at the Senate on May 13.
Cayetano’s remarks came after Sen. Risa Hontiveros said that it appeared that the Senate went on with its operations as if “nothing happened” after the shooting incident.
Cayetano then strongly reacted, saying that she was “extremely hurt” by her colleague’s comments.
“Parang walang nangyari, ‘yan po ang statement ng ating butihing Senadora Risa Hontiveros. Siguro po para sa inyong mga wala rito, pero para sa amin na nandito, napakaraming nangyari. Takot na takot po ako na kailangan ko nang magpaalam sa mga anak ko,” she said on Wednesday.
“At ‘yong staff ko na si Claire na 20 years na sa akin, nandoon siya sa labas. She has a 12-year-old son. Kinuwento niya sa akin later na tumatakbo siya, hindi niya alam kung saan siya pupunta. Kaya para sabihin niyo na walang nangyari, napakasakit para sa aming lahat na nandito,” Cayetano added.
Hontiveros explained that she was referring to the Senate’s “institutional posture,” rather than to their personal feelings and suggested that the Upper Chamber should act on the incident sooner.
Pia’s remarks did not convince several Filipinos, who recalled that the members of the majority bloc were seen dining together after the shooting incident, with some photographed smiling, including her brother, Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano, shortly after the tense situation.
READ: Pia Cayetano’s ‘takot na takot ako’ remarks on Senate shooting draw skepticism
Checking up on other people using “kumusta” became a trend and inspired posts by some Filipinos, including filmmaker Antoinette Jadaone, local clothing brand Linya-Linya and the Ateneo Human Rights Center, following Pia’s remarks.
Jadaone took to her Threads account on Wednesday, posting: “Wala man lang nangumusta sa akin.”
The post was accompanied by three loudly crying emojis.
Jadaone’s post has garnered 2,300 likes, 127 replies, 193 reposts and 27 shares, with some Filipinos joining in and sharing their own takes.
“Kumusta, direk? Baka may 100 ka d’yan, balik ko sa katapusan. Eme, HAHAHAHA,” an online user commented in jest.
“May cameo role po ba kayo? Need ko po kasi ng sideline. Magaling po ako umiyak, magpanggap na nagpa-panic at master of self-pity. Willing din po madapa kung kinakailangan,” another quipped.
“Sorry, direk! Pero direk, sana naman i-enroll niyo siya muna sa kay Sir Ogie Diaz, baka naman,” a different Thread’s user, referring to Diaz’s famous acting workshop.
“Kamusta ka na, direk Tonet? May 5k [P5,000] ka ba diyan? Balik ko next life,” another Pinoy joke.
There have been online speculations that Jadaone and her longtime partner, filmmaker Dan Villegas, may have ended their relationship in April. The two were engaged since 2020.
“Sa mga hindi pa nakukumusta: Kumusta?”
“Nangangamusta lang po,” the brand captioned its post, adding a smiling emoji.
The Ateneo Human Rights Center (AHRC), a university-based institution engaged in the protection and promotion of human rights, also created content inspired by the senator’s remarks.
“Kumusta ka? Check on your friends. Not all battles are visible,” it wrote in a post featuring another Pia — Miss Universe 2015 titleholder Pia Wurtzbach.
“Since nauuso ang ‘kumustahan’ ngayon! Let’s check on our friends, family, and loved ones. A simple ‘Kumusta ka?’ can go a long way, especially for the people who have been part of your life for ten, twenty years, or even longer,” AHRC captioned its post, adding heart hands emoji and the “#MentalHealthMatters” hashtag.
Messages sent by Senate minority bloc members
Meanwhile, Sen. Erwin Tulfo defended the members of the Senate minority bloc, countering Pia’s claims, and said that some senators were able to message them in a group chat following the shooting incident.
“Mayroon kaming chat group sa WhatsApp, lahat ng members ng majority at minority, ‘yung 20th Congress chat group,” he said in an interview.
“Nagpadala ng message sina Sen. Kiko, Sen. Bam, Sen. Sherwin, maging ako, pagkatapos, sumagot si Sen. Camille. Sabi niya, ‘Thank you and we’re all okay,’” Tulfo added.
He said that Pia might not have read their messages, hence, her comments.
Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson also posted his reaction Pia’s remarks.
“Quote of the day: ‘Wala man lang nangumusta sa amin!’ Paano mo ba naman kukumustahin ang mga masasayang nagkakainan, nagkakape at naka FB live pa para pagbintangan ang minority bloc na may alam daw sa putukan ng baril sa Senado?” he wrote on X, referring to the senators who were seen livestreaming during the Senate incident.
Pia and other senators from the majority bloc, including Senate President Alan Peter, Sens. Bong Go, Loren Legarda, Imee Marcos, Robin Padilla, Camille Villar and Mark Villar, were among those present in the Senate during the May 13 incident.
An investigation later found that there was “no attack” in the Senate, despite earlier claims by some of the majority bloc senators.
The Palace also said that what transpired was a security incident involving coordination issues between personnel stationed at the Senate complex and National Bureau of Investigation agents at the adjacent Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) facility.
