Xyriel Manabat slams ride-hailing driver for ‘bastos’ remarks; company takes action

Actress speaks out on harassment, calls for stricter safeguards from ride-hailing platform.

Xyriel Manabat said she won’t let a ride-hailing driver’s alleged inappropriate comments slide, after she saw that driver’s alleged post about them.

News5’s MJ Marfori showed Xyriel a screenshot of her selfie with Facebook user “Boss Toyo Mansi.” The caption included, “ang LAKI ng bata na yan,” while a reply to a commenter read, “jak*l,” the Filipino slang for masturbation.

“Hindi kasi ako pala-phone, pero now that I’m seeing this, I’m sure na I’ll do something about it,” Xyriel said. “Kasi even before naman ako bumalik sa showbiz… I am really vocal about protecting women and protecting [myself] against any sexual assault and sexualizing women. ‘Yon talaga ‘yong advocacy ko.”

She noted that it must be what her friend AZ Martinez was trying to tell her over the phone.

“Now that I’m seeing it, hindi ko ‘yan papalagpasin,” Xyriel added. “Of course, hindi dapat nagiging entertainment ’yan, in any form. And at the same time, I hope the platform or the app should do something about this because it’s not petty. It’s not something na any woman or anyone, not just women, should experience on a daily basis.”

Standing firm against digital harassment

Looking back, Xyriel said she was on her way to work when the driver asked for a picture with her. “Sobrang nagulat ako,” she said. “Imagine gaano kahirap ang buhay ng isang babae? Imagine, nagtrabaho ka lang, nagpa-picture lang sa ‘yo. You’re just being kind, you’re just being a decent human being, and you’ll get this in return.”

She pointed out that it has nothing to do with what women wear. “Nakapangtrabaho ako. Maayos ko siyang kinausap. As far as I can remember, ang bait-bait ko sa kaniya.”

Xyriel also left a message for the driver: “I hope your family, your mom, your sister, or worse, if you have a daughter, your wife. Sana makita nila ‘to at sana makita nila na ganyan kang klase ng tao.”

Grab Philippines issued a statement after an X user tagged it while the post made the rounds online. It apologized to Xyriel “for the unacceptable experience she had with a driver.”

“We are already in direct contact with Ms. Manabat, have offered our full support and ensured her concerns were heard. We are also prepared to cooperate fully with relevant authorities,” it said, adding the driver has been placed under preventive suspension.

The company vowed to do a comprehensive review of its driver behavior protocols, “including those governing post-trip conduct, and will introduce further safeguards to address any gaps this incident may have exposed.”

 

 

Now that I’m seeing it, hindi ko ‘yan papalagpasin… I hope the app should do something about this because it’s not petty. It’s not something that any woman or anyone, not just women, should experience on a daily basis.

Xyriel Manabat

 

 

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