Aiah Arceta, a member of the Philippine idol group BINI, has called out disrespectful fans.
Earlier this month, a video of the girl group member being harassed in public went viral. A fan was caught trying to kiss her while she walked past him in a bar located in Cebu, her home town. She was seen reacting in visible surprise and discomfort.
On July 7, she took to Instagram to share her response. She began by saying that she “needed some time and space” to process everything that has been happening in her life.
Hi everyone,
I haven’t been active lately on social media, and I haven’t been very responsive to messages, even from some of my family and friends. The truth is, a lot of things have been happening lately, and I just needed some time and space to process them.
I appreciate and am grateful to everyone who has been so kind, understanding, and patient with me. I am blessed to have people like them, and I hope we can continue to have eyes that can see the good, mouths that can speak what’s right, and ears that can listen and understand.
— Aiah
This included her trip to Cebu where she was unable to relax as she had hoped. Instead of being able to fully enjoy her time with family and friends, fans would “directly run up to [her], grab a photo (even while [she] was eating), post it in real-time, use [her] face and post it on pages or places for the sake of clout and publicity without [her] consent.” To make matters worse, some would share her location in real time, posing a safety concern.
I also want to take this opportunity to speak up about my recent trip to Cebu, where I went home in the hopes of de-stressing, relaxing, and enjoying my time with family and friends. I got to bond with them, and I was extremely happy to do so.
However, there were still times when other people would not understand the need for privacy and personal time. Some would directly run up to me, grab a photo (even while I was eating), post it in real-time, use my face and post it on pages or places for the sake of clout and publicity without my consent, and worse, some would even include the real-time location, which I don’t think is safe.
Don’t get me wrong, I like taking pictures with others, and I enjoy meeting people who are as passionate as we are in the world of music and entertainment. It also warms my heart to hear and see people slowly learning more about me and my group, BINI. But I just hope that people also see and respect us as human beings. We don’t always get to go out lately because we have been busy with work, and the least we can ask for is for others to respect our personal time and our humanity.
— Aiah
Finally, she reminded her fans to be kind both in the inside and outside.
Lastly, I also want to remind everyone to be kinder with their words and actions, especially when expressed online. You never know how much it could take a toll on somebody and affect them on a daily basis. I hope we can fill this world with love, respect, and positivity.
— Aiah
Aiah is one of eight members of P-Pop girl group BINI. They were formed in 2019 and have recently risen in popularity with their songs “Salamin, Salamin” and “Pantropiko.”
Source: Instagram
