Senator Rodante Marcoleta was irked over a known comedian's joke, seemingly making fun of the senator during a recent concert.
During the Senate Committee on Games and Amusement hearing on Thursday, August 14, the senator named several online gambling platforms, pointing out that some had sponsored the comedian's concert.
“Ito po yata 'yung nag-sponsor nung isang concert ngayon-ngayon lang. Pati po ako ay kanyang idinawit. Nagpapatawa po siya. Nakita niya yung dating Senator Grace Poe na natatawa,” the senator said.
“Natawa po at siguro naging successful siya. Napatawa niya si Senator Grace Poe. Bigla ba niya naman sinabi, 'tingnan niyo yung mukha ni Marcoleta kung matatawa kayo.' Napakawalang hiyang tao na yun, Mr. Chair. Ayaw ko na pong patusin siya,” he added.
Marcoleta revealed that the concert was sponsored by DigiPlus, a gambling company that involves bingo and sports betting.
This was, in part, one of the main reasons why online gambling platforms’ presence skyrocketed recently, the senator claimed.
“Gumagamit po sila [online gambling platforms] ng mga ganoong klaseng mga sikat na mga tao. So, alam ko po, malaking pag-uusap ito, Mr. Chair. At alam ko, I think the PAGCOR [Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation] and the DICT [Department of Information and Communications Techonology] will be struggling to reinvent themselves kung paano ma-address ito," he expressed.
In a recent concert, Vice Ganda drew attention to Senator Poe after she burst out laughing when a photo of the former was flashed on screen.
The comedian quipped, “Wow, Senator Grace, tawang-tawa. Wow, sige nga, tingnan mo si Marcoleta. Tingnan natin kung matatawa ka.”
This was not the first time that Vice Ganda’s joke sparked conversation. Earlier this week, the celebrity’s spin of the “Jet2Holiday” meme drew laughter and criticism, poking fun at former President Rodrigo Duterte’s previous statement on the West Philippine Sea (WPS). Dubbed as the “Jet Ski Holiday” skit, the joke quickly made rounds on social media, with various perspectives coming forward.
