Transgender actress and online personality Awra Briguela has taken her grievance against a Manila university professor to the next level, personally appearing before school authorities to file a formal complaint over remarks she described as degrading and discriminatory.
The complaint targets Professor Benjo Hernandez Contreras of Universidad de Manila, whom Briguela publicly identified as the author of a comment posted under an ABS-CBN social media post featuring her beach photos. The comment, which Briguela shared in a screenshot, read: “Ay babaeng may b*rat.”
Briguela, who is also a student, framed the incident as a breach of the professional and ethical standards expected of educators.
“I am publicly calling out Professor Benjo Hernandez Contreras of Universidad De Manila for his inappropriate and deeply disrespectful behavior toward me on social media,” she wrote in a statement, calling the remark “a degrading and transphobic remark that no educator should ever say to anyone, especially knowing that I am also a student.”
“What he did was completely unacceptable and disappointing coming from someone in a position of authority,” she added.
After her initial public post drew attention, Briguela said students and other individuals came forward to share their own concerns and experiences involving the same professor — a development that, she said, reinforced her decision to pursue formal action rather than let the matter rest.
On May 20, she posted photos of herself filing the complaint before university officials. In an accompanying Instagram statement, she made clear the matter extended beyond a personal dispute.
“This is not just a simple misunderstanding,” Briguela wrote, stressing that “no student should ever feel humiliated, invalidated, or discriminated against inside an institution that is supposed to be a safe space for learning and growth.”
Universidad de Manila had already acknowledged the matter in a statement dated May 18, confirming that a case involving an unnamed faculty member and a member of the LGBTQIA+ community was being handled by the University Administration and the Gender and Development (GAD) Office.
“As an academic institution, the University does not condone behavior or expressions that may be perceived as discriminatory, demeaning, or harmful to any individual. Necessary investigation and interventions are currently being undertaken through the appropriate offices,” the university said.
Briguela used the occasion to urge others in similar situations not to stay silent, saying discrimination within educational settings must never be treated as normal — particularly when it involves those expected to protect and guide students.
“Education should be a place of safety, respect, and equality — never fear, shame, or discrimination,” she wrote.
