4 young men under fire for taking butt selfies at Abra tourist site

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines – There are billions of people taking selfies at this moment.

But only a few are butt selfies.

For it takes a different kind of courage for people to bare their butts at tourist attractions.

An American couple known for their Instagram account “Travelling Butts” was arrested two years ago for mooning Wat Arun (aka Temple of the Sun) in Bangkok. In 2019, a Czech social influencer angered Indonesian netizens when she washed her butt with holy water from a temple in Bali.

In Abra, 4 local boys decided to bare their butts in front of the Apao Hills in Tineg town. They posted several of their butt selfies on Facebook to “welcome 2020.”

Their posts, however, drew the ire of many Abrenos to the point that the mayor of Tineg crafted a statement regarding what she called “obscene” photographs.

“Such conduct was not only deplorable as it was utterly done in bad taste, as it shows their behind(s) for all the netizens to see. But what was more appalling is that they used our beloved Apao Rolling Hills that was degraded by these persons with their lewdness,” Mayor Corinthia Dannang Crisologo wrote.

Although the hills are not sacred, she said the young men’s pose showed “utter lack of respect [for] the conservative culture and traditions of the people of Tineg.”

Crisologo called on them to take down their post, which the boys did.

The one who posted also apologized.

“We just had a little fun and didn’t do it to harm people and desecrate a tourist spot,” he wrote in Filipino. “Right now, we are full of fear and cannot eat well because of the criticism from the social media. We cannot even leave our houses for fear of retaliation,” he said

“We hope we would be forgiven by the town and their people who saw our posts,” he added.

Apao Hills is Abra’s answer to the Chocolate Hills of Bohol, as the rolling hills turn brown during the dry season and emerald green during the rains. It has become a new destination for cyclists and hikers.

One can also cliff jump at nearby Piwek Rock Formations and climb Mount Pisusok after. – Rappler.com