After their names were identified as those who accompanied ABS-CBN director Joyce Bernal to Sagada province for video shot footages to be used for President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s State of the Nation Address (SONA), ABS-CBN 2 contract stars Piolo Pascual and Bella Padilla denied accusations that they support the President politically.

Pascual and Padilla had the same alibi– they were there for their friend Illiac Diaz, founder of Liter of Light movement and not to take part in Bernal’s project for Malacanan. Their names were among those approved by the Palace Communication team to go up to Sagada to shoot the videos. The local governments of Sagada however, denied their requests to shoot.

The incident became a national embarrassment.

Bull. Crap.

Pascual and Padilla should have been forthwith–they were there as contract artists for the project–period. And, so what if they are indeed members of Duterte’s Die-hard Supporters. They are irrelevant. The DDS is a dying breed. Pascual and Padilla are obviously being used by the Palace to shore up support behind this beleaguered administration.

Everyone understands that Pascual and Padilla, being artists of a soon-to-be executed media network, has to feed their respective families. As professional entertainers, they are not supposed to be political. However, in certain circumstances, when the Nation needs it, they may.