OFW 'abused' after mistaken Facebook post on Ondoy

abs-cbnNEWS.com | 09/29/2009 6:21 PM

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A controversial statement allegedly made by a Filipina overseas worker in Dubai that mocked Filipino victims of tropical storm Ondoy sparked negative reactions among many Pinoys here and abroad.

Jacque Bermejo has been the target of hate threads from Filipinos after someone used her identity to post a very offensive statement against Pinoys affected by the onslaught of tropical storm Ondoy on social networking site, Facebook.

“buti n lng am hir in dubai! maybe so many sinners bak der! so yeah deserving wat hapend (sic),” the comment read.

The said statement generated more than 1,000 responses from Filipino Facebook users.

The comments included hate messages, accusations and threats from fellow Filipinos.

A user named “Ondoy” posted on September 28, 2009: “Hambalusin na yan!”

Anonymous said: “don’t worry dadalaw tayo sa burol ni jacq bermejo. titingnan natin kung talagang patay siya! (sic)”

Jay-ar said: “meron ba kaung pix ng taong yan? baka kasi makasalubong ko sya mabigyan lang ng mag asawang bitch slap! grrrr...!! (sic)"

Srub09 commented: “sana sya na lng ang inanud ng baha!!porke nakapunta na ng ibang bansa.kung sino na makapagsalita...sipain ko yang mukha mo! (sic)”

Pusa said: “naloka ako sa mga comments sa kanya sa multiply... kasi naman in times like this we should all unite and do our best to help and we don’t need negative thoughts. (sic)”

Alyssa stated: “she's pathetic and lacks good moral. dummy.(sic)”

Several new accounts on Facebook were also created under her name by irate users.

‘A victim too’

However, in an exclusive interview with ABS-CBN Middle East News Bureau, the person behind the controversial name maintained her innocence.

Bermejo denied posting the insulting remarks on Facebook. The marketing executive is saddened by the comments she receives from fellow Filipinos for something she says she did not do.

“Pero naman kung ako siguro ang nakakita sa post na yun, mag iisip naman ako na, bakit naman niya gagawin iyan. Bakit niya ilalagay ang picture niya? Bakit niya ilalagay ang real identity niya? Parang bine-bait niya sarili niya na, 'Ok, kill me',” said Bermejo.

She explained that someone hacked her Facebook account and manipulated its contents two years ago. This prompted her to deactivate her account.

Furthermore, she brought the incident to the Dubai Police who advised her to just open another account.

She also revealed that accounts under her name in other social networking sites like Multiply and Friendster were not hers.

The hacker continued to manipulate the said sites often posting negative comments against her friends.

The last post that insulted people affected by the typhoon alarmed her. She said that after the post, many people started issuing threatening statements against her.

“Pero after this, itong post na ito, unang-unang ginawa ko kagabi umalis ako sa bahay ko. Doon ako natulog sa bahay ng mga kapatid ko kasi natatakot ako,” she said.

Her close friends could not help but feel sorry for what happened to her. They said their friend is clearly an innocent victim. They also appealed to fellow Filipinos to put an end to the issue.

“Gusto ko naman ma-clear yung (name) niya dahil hindi naman ganun si Jacque. And, kung sino ang gumawa nun, he is, something talaga is wrong sa kanya, dapat sana stop na yung mga ganung things eh,” said her friend “Mel”.

‘Official statement’

A Facebook user posted Bermejo’s alleged official statement dated September 29, 2009 in the hopes of clearing her name.

She said that an unidentified source created the accounts using her name, her personal details, and pictures.

“Because of these incidents, I reported such abuses and sent my credentials to the administrators of such sites, particularly Facebook. I have been abused and am still being abused online in social networking websites such as Facebook, Friendster, Multiply etc,” Bermejo’s statement said.

Her friends called her up and informed her about the cruel “shoutout” on the Facebook account and the numerous comments from other users.

“These malicious statement(s) which are posted under account names Jacque or Jackie are not of my doing. It is unfortunate that such statements were maliciously attributed to me and I do sympathize and understand the adverse and somehow verbally violent reaction that has been elicited by such insensitive statements or posts. Rest assured, I have taken every legal step that can be done in this regard,” the statement added

“I am devastated and shocked at the extent my character, my personal information and private space have been violated,” she stated.

Bermejo has taken legal steps to address the problem. She sought the help of the Philippine Consulate in Dubai and the National Bureau of Immigration to identify the motive and person behind the moves to discredit her. Reports from Dindo Amparo, ABS-CBN Middle East News Bureau Chief, Dubai and abs-cbnNEWS.com

as of 09/30/2009 12:15 PM

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Comments

i hope no misfortunes come further her way

i wonder what has happened to her after this? i admit i have not been following this news but was surprised that a sudden unknown individual became a celebrity overnight.

i don't know her personally so i won't judge her. but i would comment on what she has said based on the emails circulating around.
those were harsh words she said back then. and it was a general statement. i was taken aback with how she said it with conviction despite seeing the flood with my own eyes. a lot of my colleagues at work were affected too. if what she said holds true, then it follows my colleagues are sinners too. but yeah, 'whoever has not sinned, let him throw the first rock.'

amidst the chaos on that day and the following days, there was a particular someone who still got the time to hack into her account to create that particular statement. amidst the hundreds of people who got together to raise funds to help the victims, some person still thought of destroying her by posting a statement on her facebook account. it must be a really huge grudge, i must say. poor her.

it is but sad that people like these are one of the reasons many filipinos still live in poverty. instead of helping those in need because one has received plenty, they prefer to mock and laugh at the misfortunes of others. i'm not a saint either, but at least i do not push people to the deeper pits of hell.

Submitted by bluebambi on Mon, 10/05/2009 - 16:29.

For Real?

Well what I can say about this case is that she can't escape the fact. As everybody knows...she already knew that somebody was hacking her account but I don't know if she did all the efforts needed...it's impossible that you were hacked few years ago and then now your other account was hacked? It seems that this girl doesn't know anything about technology. The mistake here was it was posted on the portion where everybody can see. It's the portion called "wall". Only people during that time and day could testify if it is true or not. And I was laso wondering how come it was spread all over facebook. Questions like "Is she really online that day and time?", Who were online that time aside from her?", It doesn't mean that if you have a good career or you came from a good school would make you a perfect person. The true "you" can never be erased unless something or someone triggered it to come out. "Nobody's perfect". It is so natural for all the pinoys to react this way. If she is really that innocent, then prove it like an educated pinoy and not by hiding. Only techno geek can only clear her name. Not her friends or relatives. I'm saying this not because I'm judging her but investigate the case like finding a needle in a haystack. God bless to all!

Submitted by Edward Allen Pozon on Fri, 10/02/2009 - 12:18.

KALOKOHAN!

Pathetic! Ang daling sabihin na na-HACK ang account niya. Pero ang totoo niyan, TANGA ang babaing ito to think na yung comment niya ay hindi mababasa at makakapekto sa maraming Pilipino.

Facebook is a social networking site. Ibig sabihin, maraming makakabasa ng mga isinusulat dito. Magsulat ka ng hindi maganda dadagsain ka ng hate responses.

Saka lumang rason na yung na-HACK ang site niya. SINO SIYA PARA I-HACK ANG ACCOUNT? Kung yung mga kilalang tao at mga artista pa nga ya hindi naha HACK ang account, SINO SIYA? Hindi naman siya sikat. Hindi naman siya kilala.

HINDI NA-HACK ANG ACCOUNT NI JACQUE. SIYA TALAGA ANG NAGSULAT NIYAN. This is not the first time. Ang ibang Pilipino, kapag nakatungtong na sa ibang bansa AKALA MO KUNG SINO NA. Kahit kapwa Pilipino, mababa na ang tingin nila. THIS IS A WAKE UP CALL SA MGA KATULAD NI JACQUE BERMEJO. TUMINGIN KAYO SA PINANGGALINGAN NINYO. DAHIL KAPAG ANG KAPWA PILIPINO NA ANG NAGALIT SA INYO... WALA KAYONG KAKAMPI!

Submitted by Psylom on Fri, 10/02/2009 - 09:58.

who gives damn?

Be careful of what you read in the internet as they may be inaccurate or we just don't know the real story. But whether her account was really hacked or not, why should we care? There is always
somebody around the world who are just jerks. We cant just get angry with them for having a bad
impression of us. This is just like that Claire Danes cockroach incident and that Alec Baldwin pinoy joke. Next thing we know we will have another stupid grandstanding congressman banning this girl from going back home.

Submitted by lamook on Thu, 10/01/2009 - 12:15.

only one way to know...

There's only one way to know if she's a victim or jst doing a damage control. Get the IP address used to post those comments from Facebook admin., and match it to the IP addy's owner.

We will be waiting ABS-CBN.

Submitted by bigchris_1028 on Thu, 10/01/2009 - 11:42.

pathetic

i agree with kabuki. she made all these excuses just so she can redeem herself from all the shame and hatred. people like her should not come back here. pathetic fool. being able to go to a different country does not mean that you will be cleansed from all your sins. there's a lot of people i know who becomes more sinful when they leave the country. just like what i said in facebook "linis-linisan ugaling dugyot naman..."

Submitted by deathfairy on Thu, 10/01/2009 - 09:48.

I can't but doubt her

As much as I don't want to judge her but really? I mean she knows her account was hacked 3 years ago but din't do anything about it? Before her facebook account can publicly view then when many already wrote bad comments to her account, the next things you know it's turns private account. And then her multiply accounts also turn into chatroom, thousands of comments, hate comments & the so called friends & relatives defending her. I read some of it. Whatever, hope she learn her lesson well.

Submitted by foreversundae on Thu, 10/01/2009 - 04:45.

Where is your CONSCIENCE?!!

@ Jacque Bermejo...how dare you comment like that...there are innocent people most especially childrens who have suffered and probably died or still missing, they don't deserve you're sarcastic and rude comments...as if you're not a Filipino?! This is not the time for arguing or giving rude comments. This is the time for us to be awaken and be prepared for the upcoming calamity, and as well as to help each other, even if we don't have anything to give or donate or being there to help physically as long as we are there to pray for those people who died and are still missing is enough already for it would really make a big difference. I just hoped next time you commented better think twice or hundred times, its not actually for anybody else's but for your own good as well and I just also hope you don't mean it. Nobody deserves to die in a helpless way...everybody deserves to be treated as human beings for we are all living in the same WORLD!!!If ever Jacque's Bermejo is indeed innocent, still whoever have done this hacking or have made an account on her as well as using her photos is a person without a heart and who only cares for popularity for himself or herself...for it is certainly not a good joke!!! Just hope and pray you will never experience the same way as what those innocent people have experienced. Otherwise, you'll be sorry for doing so...How come someone doesn't have any conscience at all! For whoever have really done this controversial sarcastic and rude comment...SHAME ON YOU!!!

Submitted by Janylq on Thu, 10/01/2009 - 00:11.

—

"Life is short, break the rules, forgive sooner, love with true love, laugh without control and always keep smiling.

Were is your CONSCIENCE?!

Submitted by Janylq on Thu, 10/01/2009 - 00:08.

—

"Life is short, break the rules, forgive sooner, love with true love, laugh without control and always keep smiling.

Social Suicide?

Come to think of this, why would someone post her real/own pictures, use her real name, mock her own profile, ridicule her own self, post a very controversial statement and make her profile public for everyone to see? Won't that earn you a one-way ticket to Hades? Clearly, someone would just want to destroy her. And yes, her accounts can be hacked all at the same time. All social networking sites require an email add to log-in. She might have used only one email add to all those sites and used the same password which is very vulnerable to hacking. Ang sa akin lang, let's not be one-sided.. hindi pa natin naririnig ang panig ni jacque, hinusgahan na siya.

Submitted by Frhea on Wed, 09/30/2009 - 23:05.

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