‘Mabuhay ang 1%!’ Netizens slam Cynthia Villar for remark on middle-class Filipinos

Gaby Baizas

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‘Mabuhay ang 1%!’ Netizens slam Cynthia Villar for remark on middle-class Filipinos
'Bold of you to assume everyone's salaries are enough to sustain a family in this pandemic,' one netizen tells Senator Cynthia Villar

MANILA, Philippines – Filipinos online criticized Senator Cynthia Villar for saying that middle-class Filipinos don’t need financial assistance from the government since they supposedly continued to receive their salaries during the coronavirus lockdown.

“Bold of you to assume everyone’s salaries are enough to sustain a family in this pandemic,” said Twitter user @HuntressOfSteel, encapsulating the online outrage sparked by the senator’s remarks.

Villar –  the country’s richest senator – argued on Tuesday, May 19, that providing cash aid to middle class families would only further deprive poor families. (READ: Should the middle class receive subsidy?)

The Department of Labor and Employment had reported that at least 2.3 million workers from the private sector were either laid off or placed under a “No Work, No Pay” scheme since the lockdown started.

Netizens were quick to lambast the senator for her out-of-touch comment, stating not all middle-class Filipinos were given salaries during the lockdown, while others were even terminated from their jobs.

Villar has since apologized and clarified she was concerned “for the welfare of middle income workers” despite her controversial statement.

Here’s what other Filipinos had to say about Villar’s comment:

What are your thoughts on the senator’s remark? – Rappler.com

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Gaby Baizas

Gaby Baizas is a digital forensics researcher at Rappler. She first joined Rappler straight out of college as a digital communications specialist. She hopes people learn to read past headlines the same way she hopes punk never dies.