Guess Who the Filipino Troll Army Is Mad At Now. Go Ahead, Guess.
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We need no introduction to the online vitriol that awaits anyone who would dare be critical of the Philippines and our current political situation. Filipinos are fiercely protective of our country and its image—which also means we tend to be fiercely pikon.
Whether it's the United Nations' High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al-Hussein, or the UNCHR special rapporteur Agnes Callamard, or even Clare Danes, we don't take very kindly at all to anyone who would voice so much as the slightest of negative impressions about us.
But of all the famous foreigners and members of the international community who have had to bear the brunt of our comments sections for being critical of the Philippines, this most recent one might be the the unlikeliest, most head-scratchingest yet.
Hayley Atwell—who most people know as the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Peggy Carter—was slated to appear at this year's ComicCon Asia, which will be held at the SMX Convention Center this weekend. But just a couple of hours ago, ComicCon Asia announced on their official Facebook page that Atwell had cancelled her appearance, citing "political unrest in the country." [NOTE: This has been updated.] Here's ComicCon's full statement:
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Unsurprisingly, certain people—and we're being generous by assuming that they are in fact real people—took it as an affront, and the post's comment section lit up.
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Thankfully, other Filipinos chimed in to defend Atwell.
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While Atwell herself was never explicit about what she meant by "political unrest," and we imagine she was being general about it, people were quick to point out that Senator Manny Pacquiao is the event's ambassador, and that pro-administration political blogger Franco Mabanta is involved.
But Atwell's cancellation has also cast doubt on ComicCon Asia beyond politics. She is already the second celebrity to cancel her appearance, following Stan Lee's cancellation last week (for which he cited health problems as a reason). And while the organizers will be refunding those who purchased Hayley Atwell celebrity passes, some are still disappointed in their inability to deliver the big names.
In any case, it's a shame that Atwell won't be able to swing by, but perhaps also a good opportunity to consider what her character, Peggy Carter stands for, and against. Peggy Carter's most powerful line, delivered as a quote by her niece Sharon Carter in Captain America: Civil War (which, fun fact, is based on a line that Captain America himself said in the Civil War comics), seems apt in this occasion: "Compromise where you can. But where you can't, don't. Even if everyone is telling you that something wrong is something right. Even if the whole world is telling you to move, it is your duty to plant yourself like a tree, look them in the eye, and say 'No, you move'."
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UPDATE (Friday, March 23, 1:00AM): Hayley Atwell herself has put out her own (handwritten!) statement on her Instagram account, saying, "I was looking forward to visiting your beautiful country and meeting you all. Unfortunately, changes to my work schedule have made it impossible for me to travel so far at this time...Magkaroon ng isang magandang weekend". In the caption, she wrote: "My statement. My own words ?? thank you to the people who have corrected my translation. I’m now lead to believe I should have said ‘magandang weekend mag kaibigan’ or ‘kita-kits’ xxx"
The organizers of the event have yet to issue a statement in response.
