A statement was released by the teacher who was a contestant on "It's Showtime" after his incorrect answer about who was the first female president of the Philippines went viral.
During the "Throwbox!" segment on September 19, one of the questions posed to contestant "Tony Dizon" was about the first female president of the Philippines.
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| Photo courtesy: Screenshot from Kapamilya Online Live (YouTube)/Official Gazette |
"Gloria Macapagal Arroyo," was the contestant's answer, which was incorrect because the first female president of the country was former President Corazon "Cory" Aquino.
Following this, Tony's answer quickly became a topic of discussion on social media, especially since he reportedly holds a master's degree and has been teaching for eight years. He was also invited to a research conference held in South Korea, tagging himself as the only Filipino delegate invited to present his paper.
As a result, Tony apologized for his mistake through a video message.
“Nakakalungkot lang kasi we are still in the era of making mistakes, like one mistake about it, and it will sum up who you are,” he said.
“Sana naisip ninyo na what if you are in that position, na yah, that’s a very basic question but dumadaloy sa’yo ‘yung pressure, so hindi ka makakasagot talaga.”
“It’s really saddening for people na yung mistake na yun, it will really really be against you,” he added.
Promised to everyone, “I will continue to be a better person. I will continue to be a better version of myself. I will continue learning. I will continue working and researching. Yes, again, I made a mistake but it doesn’t mean I will just be there.”
Meanwhile, this garnered various reactions from netizens. Some said there wouldn't have been any issue if he made a mistake, but they pointed out that he had bragged about his achievements earlier, so when he made a mistake on what could be considered a trivial question, it became a big deal.
One of those who reacted to this was teacher Hector Panti, who teaches Science and Research subjects at the Senior High School of Perpetual Help National High School in Iriga City. It seems that netizens liked his perspective, which is why his post also went viral.
"So maybe there’s a balance to be found. Confidence in what we’ve achieved is great, but let’s pair it with humility and an understanding that nobody is perfect,” part of his post.
"Instead of bashing someone for a mistake, let's recognize that accomplishments and flaws can coexist," he concluded.
— Noel Ed Richards, The Summit Express
