No Sympathies

Much has been said and will still be said about the Claudine Barretto/Raymart Santiago versus Mon Tulfo airport incident. I have no sympathy for the two parties, and for a third party involved that not too many people point out.

I have no sympathy for Mon Tulfo. Though I believe that he shouldn’t have been roughed up, given his past behavior and track record, I wouldn’t be surprised if his attitude had goaded Raymart and his posse. Given the different eyewitness stories coming out, more and more it looks like he’s not completely fault-free.

I have no sympathy for Raymart and Claudine. If you act so scandalous in public, you reap the consequences. In a public area, everyone is fair game when people whip out their cameras and phones and start taking pictures and videos. One should think twice about not being in their best civilized behavior when in public; if you’re a celebrity or public figure, the expectations are higher. It’s understandable that certain events can make us go off our handle, but just because it’s understandable doesn’t mean we should condone bad public behavior. Whatever happened to proper, civilized behavior? Claudine could have complained firmly but politely. Raymart, upon seeing that his wife’s behavior is causing a public scandal, should have worked towards diffusing the tension. And although he had the right to request Tulfo or any other cam-wielding bystander to stop taking photos or videos, Raymart cannot force them to do so.

I have no sympathy for Cebu Pacific. Complaints have been piling up regarding their services. A budget airline means you take out the luxuries but stick to the basics. Customers should still expect excellent basic services. It’s a minimum expectation for airlines that your luggage should join you in your flight. Shouldn’t bumping off luggage be a no-no? But if that happens, they should have a plan on how to handle the affected customers in such situations.

In the end, it’s bad behavior on all fronts.

P.S. - After Monday evening’s “performance” on TV5, I also have no sympathy for the Tulfo brothers. It’s not just bad behavior, but bad acting all around.