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Grab management overreacted in suspending delivery boys for BTS bashing?

Philippines | National

Grab management overreacted in suspending delivery boys for BTS bashing?

By Ben R. Rosario

Did Grab management overreact when it suspended delivery riders for alleged homophobic remarks against the popular South Korean group BTS?

The Gabriela Women's Partylist said Grab drivers now facing backlash from fans of the group BTS need not be suspended for bashing the K-pop group.

Instead of penalizing the drivers with suspension, they should be given given a seminar on sexual orientation, gender identity and expression which Gabriela is willing to conduct.

The drivers were suspended by the Grab management after enraged Filipino fans of BTS assailed them for throwing homophobic remarks against the K-pop group in the social media.

"While homophobia and discriminatory remarks are wrong, Grab drivers should not be made sacrificial lambs following the ARMY backlash,” said Gabriela Secretary General KJ Catequista in a press statement.

The partylist group officer said: “The company can embrace inclusivity through SOGIE education, which we are willing to offer for free, instead of imposing suspension for the implicated workers.”

According to the partylist organization the BTS fans were correct in calling out the drivers.

However, the Grab management’s move to apparently assuage the feelings of those hurt by their personnel ‘requires a careful re-examination.” Catequista pointed out that the suspension of five days for the drivers will make their families suffer as a result of the lost income.

Recently, screenshots of Grab drivers' Facebook comments with "BTS biot" remarks were leaked, prompting boycott Grab calls from BTS fans in the country.

The Grab delivery drivers have been accused of calling BTS “biot” or “bayot”, a vernacular word for “gay”.

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