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Clapbacks of the Year: 10 times personalities snapped, got called out in 2020

Sofia Virtudes

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Clapbacks of the Year: 10 times personalities snapped, got called out in 2020
Sometimes public officials and celebrities just have to put people in their place, sometimes it’s the other way around

Let’s not kid ourselves here: The worse came to worst in 2020, and now we’re left nursing ourselves from the collective trauma and stress that the year caused us.

2020 surely tested everyone’s patience (the only mass testing to happen this year, so to speak) in various ways and in the several issues we faced. The COVID-19 pandemic and the recent calamities bared the long-standing injustices in the country. On top of that, we also had to spend most of the year under lockdown, where we’d run out of everything but reasons to be disappointed.

For many of us, the 2020 chaos was more than enough to push us over the edge and make us snap, sometimes unintentionally hard, at the people who’d wronged us or should have been held accountable for the mess.

And because 2020 knows no bounds, not even the highest-ranking public officials or the most popular stars were spared from the mayhem. This year, we saw personalities call out other personalities, unapologetically clap back at haters, and even find themselves on the receiving end of public outrage.

As the year comes to a close, let’s look back at some of the most laudable (if not, iconic) clapbacks involving personalities – public officials and celebrities alike – that perfectly captured 2020 in all its chaotic glory.

When Korina Sanchez wasn’t having it

“Bruha ka” (You’re a witch) is perhaps this year’s most à la-teleserye line uttered IRL (in real life), and we owe a debt of gratitude to journalist and TV host Korina Sanchez for showing us a true 2020 mood.

In the wake of the closure of her home network ABS-CBN in May, Sanchez slammed the National Telecommunications Commission’s order in a lengthy Instagram post, which was quickly swarmed by netizens, including haters, in the comments.

But the host didn’t hold her peace, charging back at netizens who criticized her statement. 

True to her magazine TV show’s tagline, “Handa na ba kayo?” (Are you ready?), Sanchez dropped a clapback we could’ve never prepared ourselves for.

When Bato dela Rosa lived in a different world during pandemic

As Filipinos experienced the worst in 2020, neophyte Senator Bato dela Rosa, a high official of the land, weirdly flexed his “good life” during the pandemic.

His May 26 remarks during the Senate’s online session, “Ang sarap ng buhay! Ganito na lang tayo palagi ah!” (Life is good! Let’s keep it this way!) turned everyone fuming mad – because who wouldn’t be? Many were put in limbo during the prolonged coronavirus lockdown!

As Dela Rosa drew flak, Senate President Vicente Sotto III required him to physically attend the next opening of the Senate session. Deserve!

When Leni Robredo spelled ‘savage’ in 4 letters

Ending clownery with a short and sweet comeback? Leave it all to Vice President Leni Robredo.

In early November, ex-Marcos campaigner Solicitor General Jose Calida backed defeated vice presidential candidate Bongbong Marcos’ motion to inhibit against Associate Justice Marvic Leonen in the electoral protest case.

After filing his motion, Marcos denied any collusion with the Office of the Solicitor General. But only hours later, Calida, whose office isn’t a party to the poll protest case, submitted his own motion for inhibition against Leonen, with both motions containing pretty much the same arguments and phrasings. 

Robredo didn’t hide her amusement over her political enemies’ comedy of a show, letting out online a 4-letter snark – one that is modest but savage enough to break Philippine Twitter:

When Filipino K-pop fans put Imelda Schweighart in her place

There were a lot of things in 2020 that we wished never happened, and a problematic, outdated take on K-pop was one of them.

Resigned Miss Earth Manila 2016 Imelda Schweighart made headlines this year, but for all the wrong reasons – again. In a series of Facebook posts in November, the ex-beauty queen said she “hates” K-pop and that Filipinos “are losing their identity trying to be like Koreans.” (For the record, no one here is trying to be Korean, honey.)

She further went on to say Filipinos are better in speaking English than Koreans, which reeked of racism and xenophobia, many K-pop fans pointed out.

There were many issues to come out of this ruckus that beg a deeper, more insightful conversation Schweighart and even all of us could learn from – colonial mentality in her seemingly Westernized standards and perceived racial bias against Asian countries, and the utter lack of support for our local artists.

But the next time she decides to mention the K-pop wave again, we hope she remembers her very first lesson: K-pop fandoms are a force to be reckoned with.

When Koko Pimentel got double-whammied for his recklessness

Senator Koko Pimentel was under fire this year – not once, but twice – for his irresponsible acts that violated quarantine protocols.

Netizens even wanted him to resign and be jailed for putting others at risk, especially the medical frontliners at the Makati Medical Center.

Months later, the senator earned the ire of Filipinos after he said the complaint against him over the quarantine protocol violation was “defective.”

As if we haven’t had enough of it, Pimentel’s issue opened yet again a can of worms on the double standards between ordinary citizens and politicians in the eyes of the law. (READ: In PH pandemic: Due process for allies, warrantless arrests for the rest)

When Nadine Lustre (rightfully) called out a columnist

A little prior to the Taal eruption, we began the year with news that shook the country – the JaDine breakup, which, now that we think about it, seemed to be an ominous foreshadowing of the hell that was going to break loose in 2020.

In the print edition of his Philippine STAR column on Nadine Lustre and James Reid’s then-rumored breakup, Ricky Lo wrote, “James is handling the breakup with care to cushion the impact on Nadine who has admitted grappling with mental illness.” Lo also mentioned the death of Lustre’s brother in print.

While Lustre denied the breakup rumors at the time, she took to Instagram to call out Lo for bringing up her mental health struggles “just to prove a point.”

The parts that mention mental illness and the death of Lustre’s brother have since been edited out of Philstar.com’s edition, which noted: “Parts of this Philippine STAR article have been edited in the version republished on Philstar.com.” 

Lo’s scoop might have been eventually confirmed by Lustre and Reid themselves weeks later, but make no mistake: that he held her mental illness against her was still uncalled for.

When Bong Go did subpoena giveaways across the country

Apart from earning the title “pambansang (national) watermark of Malacañang” despite being in a different branch of government, presidential aide-turned-senator Bong Go also had his fair share of internet rage this year, but for another insidious reason.

Filipinos cursed Senator Go online for having individuals subpoenaed over social media posts critical of him, making #TanginaMoBongGo land the top spot of Philippine Twitter trends in July.

Memes about Go being onion-skinned flooded Twitter.

When Kakie Pangilinan and other women were so done with the likes of Ben Tulfo

What do women hate more than men? Misogynistic men. 

Victim-blaming once again became a subject of online discussion for a time this year, at the center of which was the Lucban police’s (misguided) warning to women: Don’t wear short clothes to prevent sex crimes. This drew massive flak from netizens and even personalities, including Kakie Pangilinan, who slammed the flawed thinking.

Much to no one’s surprise, many people, particularly men, still came to the defense of the police and insisted that it’s the women’s fault that they get sexually assaulted. In the words of broadcaster Ben Tulfo in his response to Pangilinan, women were apparently “inviting the beast.” (Seriously, Ben.)

But Pangilinan didn’t hold back and responded head-on to Tulfo’s statement – which by the way was brimming with misogynistic undertones, such as in his tongue-in-cheek “hija” and the insufferable “inviting the beast” – pointing out that his line of thinking further normalizes rape culture and victim-blaming.

As women were quick to back Pangilinan, the conversation blew up and eventually sparked an online movement dubbed #HijaAko, which, likened to the #MeToo global phenomenon, empowered women to come forward with their experiences of sexual assault and call to end rape culture.

Must Read

Beware the power of hijas, Ben Tulfo. If you thought they would just shrink into a corner, you thought wrong.

When we learned what ‘mañanita’ means, thanks to police chief Debold Sinas

Let’s be honest here: Younger netizens did not know about the word “mañanita” until then-Metro Manila police chief Debold Sinas made it so popular.

Sinas’ “surprise” birthday celebration – which, by the way, broke several quarantine protocols – raised questions about whether the law has selective application, exempting public officials from punishment over lockdown violations.

6 months later, Sinas was promoted as PNP chief, which, of course, did not sit well with netizens.

The internet will never forget Sinas’ association with the word “mañanita,” as memes about his violation flooded social media.

When Rodrigo Duterte’s pronouncements and meltdown sparked online rage

What is this yearend list without the sentiments caused by President Rodrigo Duterte and his taped late-night shows?

The main cause of netizens’ rage was Duterte’s sloppy pandemic response, such as his “shoot to kill” order versus troublesome individuals during lockdown, belated announcements on quarantine restrictions, and his “empty” taped public addresses that effectively wasted everyone’s precious minutes of bedtime.

Duterte being MIA (missing in action) during the onslaught of Typhoon Ulysses also enraged netizens. This was followed by a public, “small dick energy” meltdown against Robredo over rescue and relief efforts. Filipinos were quick to call him out.

2020 also marked Duterte’s 4th year in office, and disgruntled netizens aired all sorts of negative feelings on social media. (READ: Dismay, disgust, dissent: How Filipinos online reacted to issues during Duterte’s 4th year)

Do you know of any clapbacks that should be on this list? Let us know in the comments! – Rappler.com

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Sofia Virtudes

Sofia Virtudes is a former digital communications specialist for Rappler.
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internet in the Philippines

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