Internet divided as Apo Whang-Od touches Piolo Pascual's crotch
A viral video showed the famed Apo Whang-Od touching the crotch of actor Piolo Pascual, leaving social media users divided about whether what she did was acceptable or not.
On X, the clip in question showed the 107-year-old tattoo artist sitting beside Pascual with her hand on his lap, when she eventually moved to touch his private part.
Whang-Od and Pascual laughed together while people in the background could be heard cheering.
Her hand stayed for a few seconds before she touched Pascual’s bicep and he looked at the camera sustaining a smile.
But for some people on the internet, the move amounted to sexual assault.
“Double standards. Kapag matandang babae okay? Pero kung matandang lalake gagawin yan sa babae ano kaya ang mangyayari?” one user said.
“Bakit kaya pinapabayaan siya na gawin yan?” a portion of another user’s quote tweet read.
“This shouldn’t be condoned. Alam ko malaki ang respeto natin kay Apo Whang Od at sa sining niya ng pagtatattoo. Pero dapat ba natin baliwalain itong ginagawa niya?” another user said in a separate X thread. “Mapababae man o mapalalake, just don’t sexualize other people and don’t touch them inappropriately.”
Some users, meanwhile, came to Whang-Od’s defense, saying it’s among her “traditions” to grab male clients’ crotches.
One user observed that it becomes offensive “when one party did not give permission, or was offended, or was uncomfy.”
“Piolo did not say No, did not move away, and was laughing in good fun,” the user said.
Another user asked the public to not visit Whang-Od if they’re not comfortable with what she does.
“U go there to support her. At her age cancelling her doesn't do anything,” the user said. “If there are people who feels victimized, the victim should be the one speaking about it. NOT YOU.”
Whang-Od is part of the Butbut tribe, which practices “batok” or tattooing by hitting/tapping the skin with a thorned bamboo stick. Mambabatok, then, is someone who hits/taps.
Mambabatoks are generally male, though Whang-Od broke gender norms by being one in her teenage years, as mentored by her father. She’s reportedly the last remaining mambabatok of her generation.
With her legacy, Whang-Od graced Vogue Magazine as the oldest cover star among its 27 global editions.