Actress Bela Padilla expressed her disappointment over a viral video by socialite Cat Arambulo, where Arambulo was heard asking if she and her children could use a “floatie” in a flood caused by Typhoon Carina.
Padilla took to Instagram to voice her dismay at the now-deleted video. “You see people risking their lives for their loved ones, and your question is, if you and your kids can use a floatie here, come on,” the actress lamented. “Could’ve been a nice teaching moment for your kids, but [shrugging emoji].”
In the video, uploaded on TikTok by Arambulo herself, she was seen inside a vehicle with her family navigating through the flood. A little girl, presumed to be her daughter, expressed interest in using a “floatie” in the flood. Arambulo responded, “Safe kaya mag-floatie diyan, yaya? I guess so; it’s just water, noh? Should we try? We should wakeboard.”
The video sparked online outrage, with netizens expressing varied reactions on different platforms. One user on X commented, “The case of Cat Arambulo is just an example of how out of touch, vain, and oa the rich are. Imagine the level of insensitivity someone has to have to see the storm like it’s the beach where you can use a ‘floatie’ and do wakeboarding while lots of people are losing their lives over it.”
This incident follows a previous controversy in 2020, where Arambulo faced backlash for harsh comments directed at stranded commuters during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.