Senator Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri apologized to the family of the late entertainment icon Inday Badiday after her name was used to illustrate the situation during Monday's plenary session, May 26.
Senator Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri (Mark Balmores)
This was during a motion he made to strike from the record the "propaganda" video presentation of Senator Imee Marcos.
Her grandchild, IC Mendoza, called out Zubiri on her Facebook account.
"Please do not disrespect the legacy of my late mommy Luds. She was more than showbiz chika and intrigues," Mendoza said.
"She helped shape local pop culture and the entertainment journalism landscape of her time, and her work influenced conversations around media and entertainment for generations."
Zubiri said that this was a "slip of the tongue" in the middle of a heated debate, that he takes full responsibility because he should have been more careful with his words.
"I want to say this from the heart: I respect Inday Badiday, and like many from my generation, lumaki rin po ako na nakikita siya sa TV, bahagi siya ng pop culture natin and she was loved by so many Filipinos," Zubiri said.
"Lovable talaga siya, with her own charm, wit and warmth, and I fully recognize her contribution to Philippine television, entertainment journalism and media. My frustration was about the video shown on the Senate floor, and I never meant to disrespect her memory or reduce her legacy to politics," he added.
Zubiri agreed with Mendoza that his grandmother should not have been dragged into political issues anymore.
"Kaya muli (Once again), I apologize deeply to the family and I will be more mindful moving forward," he added.
Mendoza accepted Zubiri's apology, stating that he got where the senator was coming from, his frustration, and that it just felt off seeing her memory associated with fake news peddlers.