Ang Bandang Shirley disbands following sexual misconduct allegations against member Ean Aguila

Trigger warning: This article includes mentions of sexual misconduct and grooming.

Filipino pop rock band Ang Bandang Shirley has announced that they will no longer continue as a band after sexual misconduct allegations against former vocalist and founding member Ean Aguila resurfaced. 

On Instagram, the 22-year-old band addressed the accusations and slammed Aguila's past actions.

"This January, past allegations towards Ean resurfaced with new information, which has significantly affected the band and the members. Let it be known that we strongly do not condone his behavior, and we urged him to take full responsibility for his actions," band members Debb, Paolo, Miggy, and Kathy said. 

They added, "He made a statement and eventually decided to quit the band. We support his decision, and we sincerely hope for the healing of all parties involved." 

The remaining members have also decided to disband Ang Bandang Shirley.

The band also thanked their fans for their support and for listening to their music throughout the years. 

It was in January when grooming and sexual harassment allegations against Aguila resurfaced on X through some screenshots of eagle-eyed social media users. 

In the said screenshots, a 17-year-old fan who allegedly had a romantic relationship with 30-year-old Aguila revealed how they met each other in a now-deleted IG story.  

"I was a fan of his beloved band and I was vocal about it, nung nag-comment siya sa isang original track ko sa soundcloud nung 2013. I was in 4th year high school. I was 17, tapos tuloy-tuloy na 'yun," she said, adding that when they officially got together, their age gap was never a "big deal."

"I felt like I was so mature for being in a relationship with him. I honestly felt in control and cool about it. I was dating Ean of Ang Bandang Shirley, of course, it felt good."

The fan later realized in 2023 that what she experienced was "grooming."

"Walang language for this before, natutunan ko lang yung salitang grooming nung 2023. Since 2023 ko buhat yung bigat nung lahat ng awareness about how all that shit went na biktima pala ako after all this time." 

She also reposted a New York Times article regarding the allegations against Neil Gaiman, which she said was "triggering" to read. "Unfortunately, great artists can really be abusive and disrespectful people." 

On Jan. 31, Aguila responded to the allegations, saying that his bandmates were in no way complicit. 

"Facing past mistakes isn’t easy, but that’s not the point. This isn’t about what’s easy for me—it’s about accountability. I am ready and willing to have these difficult conversations again," he said at the time.

"I cannot change the past, but I am committed to making sure I don’t repeat the same mistakes in the future. I will continue to take responsibility for my actions, no matter how difficult it is to face."

2017 allegations

In 2017, Ang Bandang Shirley released a collective statement after an X user's now-deleted tweet called out Aguila and band members Owel Alvero and Joe Fontanilla for alleged "predatory behavior or sexual abuse." 

During that time, the band denied the rumors. 

"We categorically deny any insinuations of predatory behavior or sexual abuse. However, our misconduct contributes to a larger culture of toxic masculinity that allows for these problems to perpetuate," they wrote. 

"We recognize our individual accountabilities and we want to exonerate our other bandmates who were unfortunately dragged into this matter."

The post also had separate statements from each of the members who were named. 

Ang Bandang Shirley was formed in 2003. They are known for their hit songs including Nakauwi Na, Maginhawa, Umaapaw, Di Na Babalik, to name a few.