Phantom Maelstrom

Host-actress Valerie Concepcion. Credit: ABS-CBNNews.com

Twitter is becoming hot stuff for actresses nowadays, as the growing numbers of PNoy supporters rise, showbiz personalities become less significant compared to the President's overwhelming popularity. Just after Francine Prieto's flame war, another celebrity gets into the hot tub for talking about the president. Celebrities... they never learn...

Host-actress Valerie Concepcion is drawing flak for sharing that she partied with President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III on Sunday night.

In her official Twitter account, Concepcion said she attended a Christmas party for the employees of Malacañang, where she performed and rubbed elbows with the President.

Concepcion tweeted that the President even laughed at her jokes. However, the tweet has since been deleted following the flak attack.

Filipino netizens lambasted Concepcion for her "insensitive" messages, while the country is mourning the hundreds of people killed by tropical storm "Sendong" (see here).

"Valerie Concepcion is trending in Twitter coz' she tweeted that Noynoy was @iMn0tFamoUspartying and laughing at her jokes while CDO (Cagayan de Oro) and Iligan suffer!", netizen iMn0tFamoUspartying tweeted.

"While our kababayans (countrymen) in CDO are dying, our good President was laughing at Valerie Concepcion's jokes!", dudeinterrupted said.

"#PNOY & Valerie Concepcion sitting on a tree... L-A-U-G-H-I-N-G! Partying while the Typhoon Sendong victim mourns! twitpic.com/7v0gp3," king del rosario added.

After receiving negative comments, Concepcion explained her side and apologized if she offended anyone.

"I just want to clarify that I was invited to perform at Malacañang's Christmas Party for their employees with their husbands/wives and kids. Yes, the President attended the gathering. I do not see anything wrong with that since its his obligation and responsibility being the head of Malacañang to be present and show his support for his hardworking employees and their respective families. But I believe that it doesn't mean that the president is not thinking of ways to help our kababayan(s) (countrymen) in Mindanao. It doesn't mean that the president is disregarding the plight of our fellow Filipinos. Let's not be too quick to judge."

"But if I, in any way, offended you guys and sounded insensitive, I am very sorry. It wasn't my intention to do either. I can't imagine how difficult life is for the people affected in Mindanao and how difficult it is to be the president of the Philippines at this moment. Once again, I am very sorry for all those people I have offended. May God bless us all," Concepcion said.

On Monday morning, Concepcion's name landed on the top trending local topics of microblogging site Twitter.

While I hate to comment on this issue, the next time Valerie makes a joke, I suppose the President may just have to cry... anyway, who could have expect our countrymen to receive their early Christmas gift, packed in 75km/hr whirlwind?