‘It’s all miscommunication’: Francine Diaz, Orange & Lemons resolve issue about Mindoro gig

MANILA, Philippines – The camps of Francine Diaz and Orange & Lemons assured fans that they’re now on good terms, explaining that the viral incident from a recent gig they both attended was caused by “miscommunication” between both artists and the event organizers. 

The issue between Diaz and Orange & Lemons’ vocalist Clem Castro stemmed from their appearance at an event in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro, on April 30. Both acts were part of the performers’ lineup. However, numerous videos that circulated online showed the actress going onstage and performing while the band was setting up their equipment. Some clips also saw the band walking out while Diaz continued her performance. 

Castro was also filmed addressing the crowd before Orange & Lemons started their set. “Gusto ko lang manghingi ng paumanhin pero kailangan kong sabihin to para sa mga artists. Kasi dapat kaninang 11 pa kami dito eh. So sana naman walang sumisingit. ‘Yun lang, respeto lang ba,” he said.

(I want to apologize but I need to say this for the artists. Because we were supposed to perform here at 11 [pm]. We just hope no one’s jumping the queue. That’s all, it’s just a matter of respect.) 

The incident quickly gained traction on social media, with fans of both artists arguing about who was at fault. Some netizens, meanwhile, urged the organizers to speak up, saying that the conflict wouldn’t have happened if the program was managed properly. 

Addressing the controversy, Diaz, Castro, and the event’s organizer and producer Kylee Dioneda sat with ABS-CBN News’ MJ Felipe on Saturday, May 4, to settle their differences.

According to the report, Orange & Lemons was scheduled to perform ahead of Diaz, whose appearance was set between 9 pm and 10 pm. However, Castro recalled that “things got out of hand and out of control” during the show and that they were already tired since the event was running two hours behind schedule.

Because of the delay, Diaz’s camp requested if the actress can perform first as she would only sing one song and their team had to go back to Manila. The organizers granted her request, but the changes weren’t relayed to the band who was already setting up on stage.

Apologies

“Unang-una po sa lahat, humihingi po ako ng pasensiya sa mga nangyari,” Dioneda said. “Ito po talaga ay miscommunication lang po ng lahat, sa dami po ng nangyari that time sa event.” (First of all, I would like to apologize for all the things that happened. This is really because of miscommunication, with all the things going on during the event.) 

Castro also aired his frustration on how the incident snowballed on social media. “We started to see a lot of hate messages, or mentions. It’s a little frustrating and at the same time, stressful,” he said. “What you see online, all the videos and the postings, were just mere speculations. There’s no clear representation on what happened online.”

The musician said that while they wanted to do “damage control” on the matter, they refrained from releasing any official statement to not add “fuel [to] the fire.”

“We don’t want more assumptions, more judgments from the masses, music supporters, or fans,” he said.

Castro continued that the band recognized the gravity of the growing vitriol online, which was why their team initiated to ask for an audience with the local government and the organizers to pinpoint what went wrong in the event. He added that he has since apologized for his behavior when the parties involved met for a meeting on Friday, May 3. 

Meanwhile, Diaz shared that she also apologized to Castro’s camp as it wasn’t her intention to disrespect them. She said that now that they had cleared the air, they also discussed possible collaborations in the future as each other’s peace offering. – Rappler.com