NATIONAL Artist for Film and Broadcast Ricky Lee has spoken up after a video of a security guard appearing to ignore him while he was shaking hands with beauty queen Pia Wurtzbach went viral on social media.
The incident happened during the Manila International Book Fair at the SMX Convention Center on Sept. 14.
“Siguro ‘yung guwardiya could have been more gracious. Hindi ko iisipin ang sarili ko. Iisipin ko ‘yung ibang tao ‘yan,” Lee told PEP.
He added: “Hindi kinakailangan na senior or hindi kinakailangang National Artist. Pero kung may taong nilapitan din ni Pia, kinamayan pa ni Pia, respetuhin niya [guard] ‘yung tao at si Pia, kasi kilala ni Pia.”
According to Lee, the guard’s behavior was not only impolite towards him but also towards Wurtzbach, as the former Miss Universe indeed acknowledged his presence.
“I think medyo naging rude ‘yung guwardiya. Again, ulitin ko, hindi dahil senior citizen, hindi dahil National Artist. I think maski na sinong tao, maski na bata o estudyante, kung in-acknowledge ni Pia, kinausap at pinasalamatan, huwag niyang itaboy. ‘Yun ang punto ko.”
The award-winning writer, however, pointed out that he didn’t take offense at the moment because he wasn’t fully aware of the guard’s actions at the time.
“Nagulat din ako kasi hindi ko napansin, hindi ko nahalata ‘yung nangyari. Wala akong napansin. The next day, ipinakita sa akin ng assistant ko ‘yung video at comments na ang dami-dami. Nagulat ako, bakit may ganitong comments. Hindi ko naman naramdaman, wala akong naramdaman na nangyari na ganoon. Siguro, hindi lang ako masyadong pala-pansin sa sarili,” he said.
Lee said it’s just unfortunate that it happened, and he hopes everybody would be more considerate towards one another. (ABS-CBN News)
