Arnold Clavio Gives His Reaction to “Shiminet”
ARNOLD CLAVIO – The veteran journalist shared his humorous reaction to the word “shiminet,” which quickly became a viral meme online.
Upon discovering its origins, Clavio, who’s also known as ‘Igan,’ highlighted the playful and creative nature of Filipinos. He expressed amusement and slight frustration, saying his head hurt from repeatedly answering questions about the trending word.
Clavio praised the Filipino people’s creativity, emphasizing how inventive they can be. In his post, he included a video of Vice President Sara Duterte responding to questions from members of the House of Representatives, which is where the meme originated.
Clavio hoped that by sharing the video’s context, he had clarified the meme’s origin for his followers, who had been persistently asking him about it. He humorously ended his post by saying that now that everything is clear, he can finally get some sleep, signing off with, “Shiminet pakbet.”
Meanwhile, the term “shiminet” or “shimenet” emerged from a debate between VP Sara and House Assistant Minority Leader Arlene Brosas of Gabriela regarding the ₱125M confidential funds from 2022. Brosas questioned the handling of these funds, which were reportedly spent by the office within 11 days. VP Sara responded that the issue is being resolved by the Supreme Court, and when asked if Brosas could obtain a copy from the Court, VP Sara replied, “Of course not. I am not the Supreme Court.”
Brosas emphasized the public’s right to know about the use of public funds, calling for transparency and accountability. In response, VP Sara stated, “She may not like my answer. She may not like how I answer. She may not like the content of my answer, but I am answering.” Netizens turned VP Sara’s phrase “She may not” into memes that phonetically sound like “Shi-mih-net.”