Former TV personality and host Jude Bacalso has apologized following an incident where he berated a food server and allegedly made him stand for two hours after being misgendered.
The incident, which circulated widely on social media, occurred at a restaurant in a Cebu City mall where the server addressed Bacalso as “sir.”
Bacalso faced backlash after a social media post claimed he forced the server to stand for two hours following the incident. The post also alleged that the server had apologized, but Bacalso refused to accept it.
In a now-deleted social media post, Bacalso refuted the claims, describing the situation as a “series of errors.” He clarified, “Yes, I was addressed as ‘sir.’ No, I did not scream or shout at the wait staff who did. Did the staff stand there for hours? Yes, we were waiting to resolve it with the owners. Did I demand that he stand there as punishment? No.”
Bacalso explained that the restaurant supervisor was present when he suggested that a gender sensitivity seminar could benefit the staff. In another post, Bacalso issued an apology, acknowledging that he could have handled the incident “with a little measure of kindness,” which he admitted was “sadly quite absent.”
“I made a personal apology to the group present and requested if I may do so for the concerned waiter,” Bacalso added. He also criticized the viral social media post for making the incident public without their knowledge.
The restaurant management responded by stating they had met with the server and their team to console and brief them on the incident. “Rest assured that we are educating our people and placing their welfare of utmost priority,” their statement read. “Discrimination has no place in our restaurant.”