Kapuso star and “Pinoy Big Brother” housemate Shuvee Etrata found herself in the spotlight after old livestream clips praising former president Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs resurfaced, drawing sharp reactions from netizens.
The videos, widely circulated on social media, showed Etrata—speaking in Cebuano—becoming emotional over Duterte’s impact in her hometown of Bantayan Island, Cebu. One translated post on Reddit quoted her saying: “Naiyak talaga ako kagabi, empath kasi ako. Kasi sa lugar namin, ang laki ng naitulong ni PRRD. Like ang drugs talaga guys, ang laki niyan na thing. (Hindi ko lang alam sa inyo) pero nagpapasalamat talaga ako kay Duterte.”
The clips appeared to have been recorded around the same time Duterte was flown to The Hague to face charges before the International Criminal Court (ICC). As of September 23, the former president is facing three counts of murder in connection with the bloody drug war during his administration.
— Shuvee Etrata (@EtrataShuvee) September 23, 2025
The backlash was swift. On X (formerly Twitter), a post criticizing Etrata’s remarks gathered more than nine million views, with the caption: “Praising Duterte?? In the big year of 2025???” Other snippets from the livestream also showed her mentioning that she had reached out to Kitty Duterte, daughter of the former president, after his detainment in the Netherlands.
Amid the uproar, Etrata took to Instagram Stories on Tuesday night to address the issue. Without directly naming the viral clips, she admitted her earlier words had “caused hurt to some” and expressed accountability.
“I’m deeply grateful for the support many of you have shown. Bago lang po lahat to sa akin. Kaya pasensya na po sa lahat ng na-disappoint at nasaktan ko. I understand that what I said in the past caused hurt to some and I take responsibility for it,” she wrote.
Etrata explained that she had always avoided political commentary, describing it as “very divisive,” but emphasized her current focus on opposing corruption. “Sa totoo lang po, iniwasan ko po talaga ang magsalita tungkol sa politics dahil napaka-divisive nito. Ang mas mahalaga sa akin ngayon ay ang mahalin ang bayan at manindigan laban sa sumisira nito tulad ng korapsyon. LALO NA PO NGAYON,” she said.
She assured followers that the controversy has been a learning experience, adding: “Huwag po kayong mag-alala, natuto na po ako. Lalawakan ko pa po ang pag-iisip ko para sa ating lahat. I will continue to learn and grow.”
The actress concluded her message with an affirmation of solidarity: “Mahal ko po kayo at mahal ko ang Pilipinas lalo na sa panahon ngayon. I stand for and with the Filipino people—always.”
