In your opinion, was the tweet of a staff of President Aquino regarding wine and men in Vietnam offensive?

Jun Montebon, Parañaque City: In diplomatic circles, what she did was a perfect faux pas. Is she still in Malacañang? That sucks.

Pedro Alagano Sr., Vigan City: Whether offensive or not, Ms. Mislang is only exercising her freedom of expression. Her tweet has brought her from obscurity to popularity. No amount of criticism can affect her newfound fame.

Reckless comment

Ferdinand Rafer, Cavite: Asec. Mislang’s tweet was a reckless comment. Viets just brushed it aside but it left a bad impression of the Filipinos.

Elizabeth Oximer, Negros Occidental: Ano ba ang ‘antipatika’ sa Ingles, Ineng? May kilala akong mga Vietnamese seminarians na gwapo pa sa tatay mo.

Jun Cajucom, Parañaque City: However, one looks at it, it was offensive. Really, we do need to think twice always before we say or do something.

Overblown issue

Robert Young Jr., San Juan: If the tweet came from another Twitter, it would have been okay as it’s true the wine sucks and Vietnamese men aren’t as macho as Pinoys. But the girl must have received enough flak to last her a lifetime. She apologized and the President has accepted. The Vietnamese ambassador must be more amused than angry. The issue is overblown. Let’s have a heart and not destroy a girl’s bright future.

Nestor Chan, Metro Manila: We may say that this incident could be the result of media exaggeration. President Aquino’s speechwriter is a low-=profile person, and therefore, She didn’t expect that her tweet post would create such reaction and impact. In fact, No one even heard of Mislang prior to this tweeter incident. The tweet of P-Noy staff is only a personal opinion that must not be further exaggerated.

Inappropriate

Cristy Escobar, Quezon City: It’s unimaginable that a member of the Presidential entourage would have the gall to make those insulting remarks. Assuming that Ms. Mislang has the knack and discriminating taste for fine wines, still, it is inappropriate for her to make comments on wine served by the host. She even went further as to dehumanize the Vietnamese men, calling them “malguapo”. Hummh. I wonder what words she has for her President?

Dr. Jose Balcanao, Benguet : Ms. Mislang’s tweet is very offensive and lacks politeness and diplomacy. She should learn how to appreciate the culture of other people and should know how to look at herself in her own picture frame before she could talk ill of other people.

Jim Veneracion, Naga City: In any language you put it, it was too offensive. It speaks of the lack or the absence of breeding on the part of Mislang.

Louella Brown, Baguio City: The tweet of a staff of President Aquino regarding wine and men in Vietnam was very offensive. It manifested ill breeding.

Luisito Vallo, Pangasinan: It is conduct unbecoming for an official that is part of an entourage of a President of a visiting country. Even uneducated folk know that one must be respectful or must show courtesy to the host. Eto atang si Ms. Mislang ay walang common sense to know that what she did was off tangent.

It’s her personal space

Miguelito Herrera, Cabanatuan City: She is free to say whatever she wants. It’s her own tweet anyway. The vigilant media made a big thing out of it. At least she has apologized for her insensitivity.

Jose Fabello Jr., Cagayan de Oro City: No, she was just being who she is, expressing her opinion on very ordinary things. More like us?

She should have kept to herself

Alfredo Guevarra Jr., Pasay City: Yes, the tweet of Pres. Aquino’s staff regarding wine and men in Vietnam is offensive. She should have kept her observation to herself and respected them.

Deo Durante, Camarines Sur: Mislang’s observations were offensive. As part of the visiting party of P-Noy, she must have kept her mouth shout and her eyes wide open. Her acerbic tongue had placed the President in big shame as well as our race. Vietnam as a host country deserved respect and praise.

Smacks of arrogance

Joe Nacilla, Las Piñas City: The tweet of P-Noy’s staff is very insulting and a sign of arrogance. As an Asian pretending to have an American mentality, she felt insulted to be served local wine, which is like being served coconut wine locally called “tuba” in the Philippines.

Insensitive

Rico Fabello, Parañaque City: What Mislang did was a real insensitive tweet. No apologies needed. She just has to resign.

Dennis Montealto, Mandaluyong City: Yes, it was. She should have been more circumspect about her views aired on Twitter, especially that it can be read worldwide. She may be entitled to her own opinion, but in the context of her being part of the President’s delegation and guests at that of a foreign country, her downright, uncalled for and incisive honesty about her hosts is an embarrassment to the people whom she represents. She should never be sent to any junket anymore. Better still, she should resign.

L.C. Fiel, Quezon City: Yes, it was not only offensive but it also displayed insensitivity and arrogance. She has apologized, though, but all she got was a slap in the wrist.

Tweeting and drinking don’t mix

Editha Monreal, Antipolo City: Now, I know why tweeting and drinking don’t mix.

Carmela Ramento, Cagayan de Oro City: Some more wine and men would all look handsome and the wine sweeter with every drop. Her offense was touching her laptop too early. Poor lonely woman.

She needs lessons on good manners

Adrian Catral, Quezon City: I will teach her how to be polite, courteous and how to respect others, or better yet, lahat na ng magandang asal.

Reynaldo Joaquin, Las Piñas City: Indeed, it is. The staff must be made aware of the protocol and exercise tact in their post-visit comments.

Rudy Tagimacruz, Malaybalay City, Bukidnon: It was indeed offensive. Did I hear somebody suggest that a seminar on good manners and right conduct be conducted in Malacañang?

Elpidio Que, Vigan: Miss Mislang must have missed what her teachers taught her in elementary and high schooled about good manners and right conduct. Surely, they also thought of it as a reflection of P-Noy’s reaction to their hospitality.

Lesson learned

Ruben Viray, Antipolo City: It was uncalled for. However, she should learn something out of this thing. She should refrain from commenting during state visits from now on. Official business behavior should prevail.

Demeans the President’s office

Richard Decena, Quezon City: Very offensive po at ito ay hindi isang maliit na bagay. Isa po si Mislang na sisira sa P-noy administration.

Ella Arenas, Pangasinan: It’s very, very offensive to make irresponsible remarks to a host country. She should observe proper decorum. I think she should be sacked kasi pinahiya niya si P-Noy.

Ishmael Calata, Parañaque City: It would have been just an isolated case of an offensive tweet if she were not a staff of President Aquino and a member of the Philippine delegation that went to Vietnam. Being in a very sensitive function in the communication group under the Office of the President, she totally disregarded good sense and the dictate of protocol in such an occasion. Obviously, she was overdoing her tweet!

Johann Lucas, Quezon City: P-Noy’s staff screws up again by disseminating a racist comment. For the love of God, remove her from office. That’s the only way she can save our country from total humiliation.

Lolong Rejano, Marinduque: It was a show of or mixed feeling of excitement when staff of President Aquino offensively tweeted about wine and men in Vietnam. She missed to understand that she worked in the highest office of government with high level of behavior must be observed. I guess the staff talked to P-Noy seriously to give her another chance to make up for the embarrassment she had done.

We would have raised hell

Denny Muñoz, Quezon City: It’s disrespectful. Whenever it happens that people of other cultures/countries criticize our beloved country/ people, we also raise hell. When I was in Sri Lanka and the lady behind the reception desk asked me what country I came from and I said from the Philippines, she immediately retorted: “Oh, the dog-eating country.” I blasted her for such remark and asked for their manager and at that instant complained of a bad innuendo. Apologies were accepted and to show the hotel’s contriteness, other privileges not normally given to guests were accorded me for the duration of my stay at their hotel; that lady was reprimanded and suspended. Besides, I don’t eat dogs. The same is true here, though the Vietnamese government merely shrugged it off! Breeding was what lacked in that hotel receptionist and sadly, in Carmen Mislang.

Jimmy Buniao, Metro Manila: It is offensive! The Vietnamese government played as gracious host to each and every foreign delegation and nobody of good breeding would criticize the host nation in any way. That arrogant staff should resign or be fired. She has no place in P-Noy’s Cabinet, much more in his communications group. P-Noy and his staff should stop downplaying this incident because if it happened to us, definitely, our Congress would immediately file a resolution declaring the offending party a persona non grata. That’s how we react when somebody hurts our national pride. Correct me if I’m wrong.

Fake sense of grandeur

Felix Ramento, USA: It is a mark of a trying-hard greenhorn and a fake sense of grandeur. Sounds like the proverbial fly.

William Gonzaga, Marikina City: It is absolutely offensive of the highest order! It certainly reminds me of the proverbial fly atop the carabao since that staff has erroneously arrogated in herself the mantle of power in belonging to P-Noy’s circle. I would assume that her parents were absent from school when the subject Good Manners and Right Conduct was discussed extensively, thus she failed to imbibe there from such proper decorum. What a pity.

At least Vietnam is progressive

Rose Leobrera, Manila: The truth hurts, doesn’t it? Go to Vietnam, aru Diyos ko, wala good-looking. Yes, there are a few but it’s the attire that makes them look pleasing. However, the Vietnamese are much better, because slowly they are progressing as a nation.

Irresponsible

Germi Sison, Cabanatuan City: I met many Vietnamese in Orange Country, California and I found them like Filipinos - the educated were smart and refined, while the less schooled were timid but polite and industrious. Though there was then bad blood existing between those who were in favor of reconciling with the new regime back home and those against it, both sides were confident that their differences would be settled by the passing of time with no necessity for the host country, the US, to get into the picture. That was how gentlemen the Vietnamese were, though they may not be earthly romantic. As to the issue of wine, even many Filipinos are not into lambanog, tuba or basi, so much so with Vietnamese wine, which was locally distilled with their own resources for the purpose of strengthening their friendship with foreign countries. The late Ramon Magsaysay offered basi during toasts with foreign dignitaries. I wonder how Ms. Mislang could tweet such irresponsibly.

Below the belt

Manny Cordeta, Marikina City: Yes, in sports parlance, it’s what we call an offensive foul (basketball), unforced error (tennis) and hitting below the belt (boxing). It smacked of lack of prudence, tact, so daring and ironically hostile to the Vietnamese hosts. A forgettable occurrence that should not deserve a space in P-Noy’s diary, the incident just added up to a growing list of the Communications Department’s bloopers. Not too long ago, Mr. Carandang was given a “professorial” lecture by columnist Federico Pascual on what it takes to be a fair and honest journalist. When will they ever learn?

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