‘Pakisauli po ang milyones’: Netizens burn Lani Mercado Revilla over GMRC tweet

MANILA, Philippines – Filipinos online fired back at Lani Mercado Revilla after she invoked “GMRC” or Good Manners and Right Conduct in a tweet, saying people commenting on issues involving her husband didn’t need to be mean. 

She is married to returning senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr, whom the Sandiganbayan acquitted of plunder over the pork barrel scam despite records of the Anti-Money Laundering Council showing that alleged kickbacks matched the amounts deposited in the bank accounts of family members always within 30 days of their release. (WATCH: How Revilla got away from the plunder charge)

The Office of the Ombudsman has appealed the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan to order Revilla to return P124 million to public coffers. He is still facing graft charges in relation to the misuse of his Priority Development Assistance Fund when he was senator. (READ: ‘How to get away with plunder’: Netizens blast Revilla’s acquittal with memes)

Lani, who is the mayor of Bacoor City in Cavite, said in her tweet that people “don’t have to be mean just to get attention.”

You don’t have to be mean just to get attention. People are more appreciated when they show respect and GMRC even in social media.

— Lani Mercado Revilla (@lanimrevilla) May 25, 2019

Twitter user @lexiconary questioned Lani’s request, reminding her that her husband, Bong Revilla, had been accused of pocketing millions of public funds.

Respect!? GMRC!? Lani, may I remind you that Bong Revilla is just not guilty beyond reasonable doubt but civilly liable kaya nga pinababalik yung P124M eh. Nagnakaw na nga yang asawa mo, GMRC! Mahiya ka naman, mahiya naman kayo

— Alex Harrington (@lexiconary) May 26, 2019

Twitter user @deanneypangan squirmed at Lani’s audacity to talk about GMRC when her husband did not even “have the morale to stop from running for senator after stealing.” (READ: 3 ex-senators charged in pork barrel scam running in 2019)

The audacity to talk about gmrc when your husband doesnt even have the morale to stop running for senator after niya magnakaw siss,,,,,, this ain’t it

— Dee Marieli Pangan (@deanneypangan) May 26, 2019

Revilla, an actor-turned-politician, ranked 11th in the midterm polls, with 14,624,445 votes. (READ: TIMELINE: Bong Revilla’s plunder case and the pork barrel scam)

In an interview with PEP.ph, Lani defended her husband from critics and lamented the bashing he had been getting both online and in showbiz.

“Alam mo, nasasaktan ako. Siyempre, hindi naman lahat ng taga-industriya, kumbaga, nagsasabi ng masasakit na salita laban sa amin,” she said. (You know, I get hurt. Of course, not everyone from the industry speaks ill about us.)

Return the money

When Revilla was cleared by the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan in December 2018, he was ordered to return P124 million to the Philippine treasury. Yet, he insisted he had nothing to return.

Twitter user @WanderlustWeng said that part of good manners is “returning what is not righfully yours.”

Dear Mrs. Revilla, part of Good Manners and Right Conduct is returning what is not rightfully yours (remember how the court ordered your husband to return P124.5M?). When you’ve done that, you’re welcome to tweet again about GMRC.

— Wenggee (@WanderlustWeng) May 25, 2019

Addressing Revilla’s wife, she said that once the money is returned, Lani is welcome to tweet about morals again.

Respect is earned

While Lani asked for respect from people, netizens told her that respect is earned and not demanded.

ALAM MO LANI, ANG RESPECT INE-EARN YAN, HINDI YAN INI-IMPOSE pic.twitter.com/GUGbMjlcfT

— Watson (@akosisupertian) May 25, 2019

Twitter user @abbeyygl said that the Revillas do not have the right to ask for respect when they were the first to set it aside.

Don’t ask for respect, kung kayo unang di rumespeto. mga magnanakaw!!!

— abi (@abbeyygl) May 25, 2019

Other netizens asked the Revillas to take heed of people’s clamor: “Return what you stole.”

Please ask your husband to return the money. Please, ma’am? It will be most highly appreciated! And do remind him not to do it again? GMRC

— peachy natividad (@peachynatividad) May 26, 2019

Ginagalang na asawa ng MAGNANAKAW, pabalik nalang ng NINAKAW ninyo po. ORAMISMO, as in now npo! Sana po maappreciate nyo ang hiling ng sambayanan na maibalik ang NINAKAW ninyo.

— bourne (@meL_bouRne13) May 25, 2019

Lani Mercado, your feelings do not govern what is moral and what is just. Your right to be offended is significantly smaller than our right to be outraged. https://t.co/NkRSfpJRuw

— Alfonso Manalastas (@not_alfonso) May 25, 2019

Here are some of the tweets:

lani mercado – Curated tweets by rapplerdotcom

– Rappler.com