Cong. Garbin Issues Public Apology
ALFREDO GARBIN JR. – The Ako Bicol party-list representative has issued a public apology after accidentally uttering a curse word during a live interview. The incident happened on Monday, September 8, 2025, during his appearance on One Balita Pilipinas, hosted by Cheryl Cosim.
Cosim was interviewing Garbin about the health condition of his fellow Ako Bicol party member, Representative Zaldy Co, who is reportedly abroad seeking medical treatment. Co has recently been at the center of controversy over alleged corruption involving questionable flood control projects. The issue has been a hot topic for several weeks, especially after Navotas Representative Toby Tiangco identified Co during a Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing as being involved in irregularities linked to government infrastructure projects.
While the interview was ongoing, Garbin was walking and did not realize that he was already live on-air. Suddenly, he stumbled and nearly dropped his phone, which caused him to blurt out the Filipino curse word, “Putng-ina!” Cosim quickly alerted him, saying, “Cong… Cong, you’re on the air,” prompting Garbin to immediately compose himself.
Shortly after the incident, Garbin took to Facebook to explain and issue an apology. In his statement, he said, “”Pasensya na tao lang po! I sincerely apologize for the curse word that was caught right after my live interview on One Balita. The stumble startled me, and in that unguarded moment, I blurted out a curse word — something I usually say in private and never intended for the public to hear.”
Garbin admitted that, as a public servant, he understands the importance of being careful with his words at all times, even in unexpected situations. He assured the public that he would take extra precautions to avoid similar mistakes in the future.
He added, “Moving forward, I will take greater care to avoid similar incidents. Once again, I apologize to the viewers and to anyone who may have been offended.”
The live interview was originally meant to focus on Rep. Co’s health condition and the ongoing corruption allegations surrounding the flood control projects. However, the accidental outburst quickly became a trending topic online, with netizens expressing mixed reactions — some understanding his mistake, while others criticized it as unprofessional behavior.
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