Dennis Trillo Speaks Out Regarding Alleged Controversial Comment About ABS-CBN
DENNIS TRILLO – The Kapuso actor has spoken out regarding a controversial comment he allegedly made about ABS-CBN.
Recently, Dennis responded to a netizen on TikTok asking about his wife, Jennylyn Mercado, and why she was absent from the new GMA-7 station ID. Jennylyn, a prominent figure in GMA-7, prompted netizens to question her absence.
A netizen asked Dennis, “Kuya dennis sana masagot mo ito bakit wala si ma’am Jen sa GMA STATION ID at totoo ba na lilipat na siya sa ABC CBN” Dennis’s intriguing response was, “May ABS pa ba?” This comment sparked outrage among netizens, accusing Dennis of being insensitive to ABS-CBN’s struggles.
In July 2020, under President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration, Congress denied ABS-CBN’s franchise renewal, leading to the shutdown of its TV and radio operations. Consequently, around half of the company’s 11,000 employees lost their jobs amid the pandemic.
Dennis’s management team, Aguila Entertainment, defended him, stating that his TikTok account was hacked and he did not post the comment. Jan Enriquez and Katrina Aguila from Aguila Entertainment explained that Dennis was filming “Pulang Araw” and had limited phone access during the time of the post. They quickly released an official statement denying Dennis’s involvement in the comment.
In an interview on “24 Oras” on Friday, July 12, Dennis confirmed that his TikTok account was indeed hacked and they still do not know who was behind it. He acknowledged the hurtful comments directed at him since the hack but chose not to be affected, as he knows he did not make the controversial comment.
Dennis emphasized that he has no ill will against ABS-CBN and has always respected the network, as it was the first to give him an opportunity in the industry. He stated, “Ako, sa 20 years ko sa industriya, wala po akong naging kaaway, wala akong pinagsalitaan nang masama. Wala po akong anything against ABS-CBN. Mataas po ang respeto ko sa kanila [kasi] doon po ako nanggaling, e. Siyempre, yung respeto, importante po sa kin yun kaya pinahahalagahan ko yan. Ako po ay hindi sasagot ng mga ganoong klaseng comments. Sa isang simpleng tanong, kaya kong sagutin yan nang with full respect, pero hindi sa ganoong manner.”