From 'shimenet' to 'yumenet': Pinoys poke fun at the House budget hearings
Even something as serious as government hearings can be turned into memes by Filipinos with the right material—that's exactly what happened to the House of Representatives deliberations for Vice President Sara Duterte's proposed budget for her office.
In case you haven't been keeping up with politics, Duterte's proposed P2.037-billion budget for 2025 has been a hot topic in recent weeks due to the heated arguments and memorable exchanges from the hearings.
Like with other trending topics online, Filipino social media users were quick to make memes and other hilarious content online regarding the deliberations. Here are some standouts:
Defining 'shimenet'
Among the ones that went viral in the past weeks is the "shimenet" line, which stemmed from Duterte refusing to answer lawmakers’ questions regarding her confidential expenses in 2022 and 2023.
"These are public funds. Everyone has the right to know about these. It’s a matter of public interest. We are asking for transparency and accountability," House Assistant Minority Leader Arlene Brosas said during the Congressional OVP budget hearing on Aug. 27.
Then Duterte answered, "She may not like my answer. She may not like how I answer. She may not like the content of my answer, but I am answering."
Filipinos quickly poked fun at her way of pronouncing "she may not," saying it sounded like "shimenet."
Because of this, some Pinoys made a parody of dictionary entries and created their own satirical meaning out of the term. One page joked that the word meant "S**t, mainit; pakiramdam kapag ginigisa ka sabay wala kang maisagot, kaya dinadaan mo na lang sa angas, pagpapaligoy-ligoy, at pagpapalusot."
School scenarios
@_kisszumixx shimaytnotlayk
♬ original sound - Aela
Some online users have used the "shimenet" line to describe relatable situations at school where students can't answer difficult questions from their teachers during recitation.
Catchy remixes
Some musically inclined Pinoys incorporated shimenet into popular songs and produced their own catchy remixes of them.
For instance, Sara Duterte-impersonator Mark Geronda or "Inday Tasha" on TikTok made shimenet stuck on everyone's head as she inserted the word into the opening lyrics of Beyoncé's hit song Irreplaceable, which went, "Shimenet, shimenet... Shimenet, shimenet, everything you own in the box shimenet."
@indaytasha23 Dj shimenet
♬ original sound - Lej - lejjjji
Another TikTok user, @dj_kafa, remixed the line into the 2012 song Diamonds by Rihanna, going, "We're beautiful like diamonds in the sky. Shimenet like a diamond, shimenet lika diamond..."
@dj_kafa Shiminet like a Diamond #shiminet #shiminetlike #dj #djremix ♬ Shiminet like a Diamond - DJ_KAFA
Shimenet vs. yumenet
During a hearing by the members of the House committee on appropriations on Sept. 10, Sagip party-list Rep. Rodante Marcoleta scolded lawmakers for not observing the tradition of giving courtesy to Duterte's office.
"These questions [being asked to the Vice President] never happened before. That [absence of] questions at the committee level is in line with tradition. That is the one I'm explaining to you. It never, it did not happen before,” Marcoleta said.
"You may not like the person, you may not like her presence here, but you have to respect the office of the Vice President. That is all, because that is guided by the tradition. Why are we intending to ask questions na naman at pinatawag nyo na naman kung sino-sino dito?" he added.
But some Filipinos twisted Marcoleta's "you may not" into "yumenet" or "yumenat" and joked that it was the new "shimenet."
Pusit review
ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro caught the attention of online users when she filmed herself doing a food review of a squid dish served for lunch during Tuesday's hearing, which was skipped by Duterte and her office staff.
"Kakatapos lang po ng budget hearing dito sa Office of the Vice President. Nakita niyo naman, binoycott tayo, pero masarap 'tong lunch ngayon ah. May pusit tsaka Paella Negra. Tikman nga natin kung gaano kasarap," Castro said.
"Ang sarap! Sana rin pala mayroong inihaw na pusit," she added.
The video is in reference to Castro comparing Duterte to a squid for her way of deflecting questions related to her use of P125 million confidential funds in 2022.
"Kapag nasusukol na ang pusit naglalabas ng maitim na tinta, so ayaw natin ng ganun. Ang pinag-uusapan dito ay budget. Huwag naman mag-ugaling pusit ang Office of the Vice President," Castro said.
The House Appropriations Committee deferred the OVP's budget hearing anew over unanswered questions regarding the allocation as well as Duterte's absence.