Social media influencer Whamos Cruz is facing allegations of content theft after another creator accused him of using stolen video footage in his viral “Proud Pinoy” video. The video, which was uploaded on May 2, features daily life scenes of Filipino workers from the lower class, including a balut vendor, jeepney driver, taho vendor, and tricycle driver, intertwined with humorous clips of gossipmongers.
The controversy erupted when JAK Seventy-Three, a fellow content creator, recognized scenes from his own festival videos in Whamos’ viral piece, which has already amassed over 16 million views.
“Whamoscruz stole my videos 😳” he wrote.
Following the accusation, Whamos added a credit for JAK Seventy-Three in the comments section of his video. This move, however, did little to quell the backlash, with one user commenting, “Ngayon ka nalang nag credits after ka I call out! Lakas ng tama mo hoy!” suggesting that the credit was too little, too late.
Despite the controversy, the video has garnered admiration from many, including former senator Bam Aquino, who praised the video’s portrayal of Filipino resilience, commenting, “Nakakamangha sa sobrang husay! Nakaka-proud ito! Saludo at maraming salamat, bro!”
Watch the video below: