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MANILA, Philippines – Not all jokes are funny.
As different brands joined in on the April Fools’ Day fun with mock social media posts, netizens slammed a food chain after it refused to take responsibility for a prank post gone wrong.
A takoyaki restaurant called Taragis said in a now-deleted Facebook post on Monday, April 1, that they would be giving P100,000 to the first person who had their shop’s logo tattooed on their forehead.
The words “April Fool’s” was written at the bottom of the photo used for the social media post. The phrase cannot be seen properly unless the user clicks on the photo itself.
Unfortunately, a social media user identified as Ramil Albano had taken the post seriously and shared a photo of his new forehead tattoo.
In another deleted post, Taragis said that they were “not accountable for the events that occurred,” and urged readers to remember “how important reading comprehension is.”
Carl Quion, Taragis’ owner, has since talked to Albano and given him the reward, as seen in a video posted on Tuesday, April 2. He also offered to shoulder the cost of the tattoo removal.
“Hindi natin alam na may mga taong gagawin ang lahat para sa pera, kaya iwasan nating gumawa ng mga bagay na makakaapekto sa kabuhayan nila,” Quion said.
(We don’t know how far people will go just for money, so let’s avoid doing things that could affect their livelihoods.)
Albano shared in the video that he had taken on the challenge so that he could have extra money for his children’s needs, especially for his youngest son who has Down syndrome.
After Taragis earlier denied responsibility for the incident, several brands from all over the country offered to give Albano cash rewards, hoping that these would help him and his family.
Bad joke
Netizens said that Taragis’ prank went a little too far, since many Filipinos may not be familiar with the concept of April Fools’ Day.
Others also pointed out that some people, especially those like Albano who need financial assistance, could be tempted to take the restaurant’s “offer” amid the rising cost of living in the country.
The Philippines’ inflation rate rose to 3.4% in February, following an increase in food prices and utility costs during the month.
Some individuals also said that Taragis’ responses to the issue were in bad taste, saying that they portrayed Albano as “dumb” for falling for an April Fools’ prank when he was only looking for ways to make ends meet.
Should they be held accountable for their joke? Bernice Piñol-Rodriguez, a lawyer on TikTok, said that under the rules of the Department of Trade and Industry, Taragis should compensate Albano “for causing injury to another person and false advertising.”
She said that they could also be held liable under Article 21 of the Civil Code, which states that “any person who wilfully causes loss or injury to another in a manner that is contrary to morals, good customs, or public policy shall compensate the latter for the damage.”
@heyattorney IF NAGPA TATTO BA ANG ISANG TAO SA NOO DAHIL SA ISANG APRIL FOOL’S DAY PRANK, WILL THE FOOD CHAIN BE LIABLE? #heyattorney #fyp #foryou #foryoupage #law #tattoo #aprilfools ♬ original sound – Atty. Bernice Piñol-Rodriguez
In the April 2 video, Quion has apologized to his critics and explained that he had no intention of hurting other people.
“Sa mga nagkaroon ng negatibong pananaw sa naging April Fools’ post namin, humihingi ako ng tawad. Sana magsilbing aral ito sa ating lahat, lalo na sa mga kapwa influencers ko o brand na nasa internet, na maging responsable tayo sa lahat ng inuupload natin,” he said.
(For those who disliked our April Fools’ post, I’m sorry. Let this be a lesson to all of us, especially to my fellow influencers and online brands, to be responsible for everything we upload.)
Scripted?
Some netizens have pointed out that Taragis’ prank may be scripted based on the appearance of Albano’s supposedly fresh tattoo.
According to several sources online, a tattoo may take around two to four weeks to heal, and may show dryness, redness, and oozing.
A social media user who goes by Chonna Mae also called out Taragis for allegedly taking down her comment questioning the legitimacy of Albano’s tattoo.
“Sa totoo namang 3:36 pm kayo nag-post ng April Fool’s Joke ‘nyo tapos 4:04 pm, tapos na agad ‘yung tattoo niya at magaling agad,” she said in a post (It’s true that you posted your April Fool’s Joke at 3:36 pm and at 4:04 pm, his tattoo was done and healed). “Ay nako, mukhang nang-eeme lang ‘yang si Taragis, maniwala kayo sa ‘kin.” (Taragis seems to be kidding around, believe me.)
But regardless of the intent, Filipinos online said that at the end of the day, Albano is just a father who would do anything for his children.
What do you think of this issue? – with reports from Isabella Baldado/Rappler.com
Isabella Baldado is a Digital Communications volunteer at Rappler and a Speech Communication student at the University of the Philippines Diliman. She often seeks energy boosts in the form of caffeine (both iced coffee and matcha!) and her favorite K-pop groups.
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