Julia Barretto to take legal action following claims she ordered closure of Camiguin sites for her vlog
Julia Barretto is seeking legal action against a person who accused her of ordering the temporary closure of a popular tourist spot in Camiguin so she can shoot for her vlog.
On her social media pages, the actress penned a lengthy statement denying her involvement in the temporary area closures of Mantigue Island after she had visited the place in early March for a tourism project.
"From March 1 to 3, we partnered with them on a tourism project aimed at showcasing the island's rich history, culture, and natural beauty. It was an honor to contribute to their vision and support the local community. However, I have recently been made aware of false accusations regarding my involvement in temporary area closures during our shoot," Barretto said.
According to her, someone had "publicly claimed" that she was the one who ordered the closures and labeled her as "entitled and selfish."
"To clarify: I was not involved in any decisions regarding closures. The coordination and management of the locations were entirely under the jurisdiction of the local government," Barretto asserted.
"I was only informed that certain areas would be momentarily closed during the shoot, which I understood as part of their commitment to ensuring the success of their tourism initiatives. To assume that I had the authority to dictate such decisions is both unfair and misleading," she added.
While the local star noted how she doesn't usually engage with these kinds of claims, she isn't letting the person's misinformation slide past her as it "misrepresents" her character, work, and the purpose of her online travel series Juju On The Go.
"This project has always been about celebrating destinations, supporting communities, and sharing meaningful experiences," she stressed.
"I take this matter seriously and am currently seeking legal advice regarding the spread of false and misleading information, including a manipulated TikTok video with fake audio that aims to misrepresent me," she added.
Barretto ended her statement with a message towards the individual, whom she tagged on her Facebook post.
"I hope neither you nor anyone in your life would have to experience the kind of unfounded attack and cruel words you have directed at me without having knowledge of what has transpired. Words have weight, and spreading misinformation can cause real harm," she said.
Where the accusations came from
The issue stemmed from a March 7 post by a social media user on Facebook, which hasn't been taken down as of writing.
The social media user posted a screenshot of Barretto's carousel pictures from her time in Camiguin as she called out the local government and the actress' production team in the caption for the closure of Mantigue Island.
"Last weekend, we traveled to Camiguin for a short but well-planned trip, excited to explore its beautiful tourist spots... However, we were caught off guard when we arrived and were informed—without prior public notice—that Mantigue Island was closed for a private shoot," she stated.
While they were told that the island would reopen at 12:00 p.m., the closure allegedly extended past 1:00 p.m. and forced many to cancel or reschedule their plans.
"To the LGU of Camiguin, it’s disappointing that priority was given to a private production over tourists who planned their trips in good faith. While we understand the value of featuring the island in media, proper advance notice (at least a week prior) should have been given to prevent unnecessary inconvenience," she said.
"To Julia Barretto’s team, we respect the work that goes into production, but we hope that better coordination and time management can be considered in future shoots. A more efficient schedule—perhaps starting earlier or ensuring commitments to reopening times—could have minimized disruption for both tourists and the crew," she continued.
The user has since edited some of her statements in the post, but Barretto had managed to get her hands on a screenshot of what she initially wrote in the caption.
In the supposed original version, she told Barretto and her team that "shutting down an entire public island for hours with no regard for others is selfish and entitled."
"If efficiency mattered, you could have started earlier instead of occupying Mantigue Island at peak hours. Instead of gaining admiration, you turned potential fans into critics," she alleged.
"Tourists visit Camiguin to appreciate its beauty, not to be sidelined for a celebrity's convenience," she continued.
Barretto slammed the user's attempt to edit her statements, emphasizing that this "only further proves a lack of knowledge and understanding about the trip. Spreading misinformation on top of misinformation only adds to the damage already done."
Camiguin government speaks up
The Camiguin Tourism Office's official Facebook page earlier responded to Kho's post in the comments section, explaining that they invited Barretto to visit the province and create content as part of their ongoing tourism promotion efforts.
"To clarify, her visit was not for a personal vacation but as part of a tourism collaboration," they noted.
"To ensure proper content production, the Provincial Government gave Ms. Barretto and her team dedicated time and unrestricted access to select tourism sites. Thus, these sites were temporarily closed to the public, a decision that was publicly announced in advance via the Provincial Tourism Office’s Facebook page on February 28, 2025," they added.
As a reply to the tourism office's comment, the user said, "Camiguin aims to be a premier travel destination, yet it’s frustrating that regular travelers were treated as an afterthought. Many of us spend months planning and saving for our trips, only to arrive and be told to wait for a special guest to finish."
"By the time the sites reopened, we barely had an hour to enjoy them. If the goal is to promote tourism, shouldn’t the experience of all visitors be a priority?" she added.
The social media user has yet to comment on Barretto's possible lawsuit against her.
