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MANILA, Philippines – Actress and comedian Awra Briguela has been detained by police after figuring in a brawl at a bar in Poblacion, Makati, on Thursday morning, June 29.
Video footage circulating on Twitter user shows Briguela being manhandled by cops and bouncers during her arrest.
Citing the Southern Police District (SPD), the Inquirer reported that an argument broke out between Briguela and the group of the complainant, Mark Christian Ravana, after she and her friends allegedly demanded that Ravana take off his shirt, with her tearing his shirt after he declined. Ravana and bouncer Angelo Nino Gulmatico then called the Poblacion Police Substation. When the police arrived, Briguela resisted arrest, allegedly using foul language on the officers.
According to CNN Philippines, Briguela was charged with physical injuries, alarm and scandal, direct assault, and disobedience to a person in authority. She will remain under police custody until the inquest proceedings.
Zayla Nakajima, a friend of Briguela, made a post to counter what she called “made-up stories” about the incident.
She shared via her Instagram story that the actress was supposedly trying to defend her after getting sexually harassed by “one guy,” believed to be Ravana. She also claimed that he had initiated the fight, hitting Briguela first. Nakajima has since set her account to private, but a screenshot of the story has circulated on social media.
Content creator Riva Quenery also took to social media to share that she visited Briguela at the police station after her arrest. In her post, she asked, “Bakit si Awra lang ang pinosasan at inaresto (Why was Awra the only one handcuffed and arrested)?”
Other friends of Briguela and netizens have also come to the Kapamilya star’s defense, with many calling out the Makati police for only arresting Briguela despite Ravana’s involvement in the brawl. The hashtags #IStandWithAwra and #JusticeForAwra have been trending on social media since the incident.
Drag queen Marina Summers and the Metro Manila Pride organization are some of those who have also cited the arrest and detainment as “transphobic and unjust,” also advocating for the swift passage of the SOGIE Equality Bill.
DeeDee Marié Holliday and writer Jerry B. Gracio also recalled a 2020 incident in which two Makati policemen were relieved of their posts for attempting to profile a trans woman under “Oplan X-Men.”
Awra Briguela first gained fame in 2016 for starring in the television shows FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano and Your Face Sounds Familiar, as well as the movie Super Parental Guardians. – with reports from Sophia Gonzaga/Rappler.com
Sophia Gonzaga is a Rappler intern.
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