MANILA, Philippines — A radio host has reaped the ire of netizens for “joking” about suicide on air.

Jobert Sucaldito brought up the recent breakup rumors between celebrity couple James Reid and Nadine Lustre during his entertainment show “ShowBuzz” aired Tuesday night.

“Unang una, gusto namin ipaalala sa inyong lahat, mga fans ng JaDine [James and Nadine], hindi kami ang may pakulo nitong lahat na ito. Wala kaming alam sa buhay ng mga idols ninyo. Sila ang naggawa-gawa ng mga kwento na mali namin ay pinatulan namin. Di ba? Kaya lumaki at medyo napag-uusapan,” Sucaldito said in his show aired Tuesday night.

(First of all, we want to remind you all, fans of JaDine, we are not the ones who started this. We don’t know anything about the lives of your idols. They are the ones making up news which we acquired. Right? That’s why it became huge and people talked about it.)

Lustre earlier dispelled rumors about her breakup with Reid and even called out entertainment columnist Ricky Lo for an article he wrote on the couple’s supposed split.

“Di ba yun naman ang gusto nila? Kuno kuno may mga labas ang pwet, naka-T-back pa dun sa building tapos may nakalagay na mga caption na mga parang gustong tumalon. Sana tumalon na lang kung ganun din naman pala,” Sucaldito added.

(Isn’t that what they want? There are pictures where her behind is shown while wearing T-back in a building captioned with a cryptic message about wanting to jump. Hope she just jumped.)

These remarks caused Sucaldito to draw flak online and led “#SuicideIsNotAJokeJobert” and #ApologizeToNadine” to climb the first and third top trending Twitter topics.

“May RA 11036 na po. Discrimination is punished under the Mental Health law, especially if it is done on such a public platform. Nadine doesn’t deserve this. No one does. Pwede ba, umayos tayo?!” director Kip Oebanda said in a Twitter post, referring to the Mental Health Act.

Singer Kiana Valenciano also aired dismay over the “suicide joke,” noting the need for education to break the stigma against mental health.

“WAKE UP AND GROW UP. Suicide is not a joking matter or something to bring up passively for clout. I am stunned. How can someone be so ignorant and insensitive about this issue in this day and age?” Valenciano said.

“Thinking of all the people I have met who silently struggle with mental health & suicidal thoughts and then hearing someone so callously turn that battle into a joke just goes to show that there is still so much work to be done. We must educate ourselves to break the stigma,” she added.

Meanwhile, ABS-CBN News said it is already investigating Sucaldito’s “inappropriate comments” against Lustre and assured members of its team are accountable for their statements.

“We in ABS-CBN News take the issue of mental health seriously. This was even the subject of a recent documentary that we produced. We are investigating reports that DZMM host Jobert Sucaldito uttered inappropriate and insensitive comments regarding Nadine Lustre’s state of mental health. Our journalists and other members of our team are accountable for their own-air statements,” ABS-CBN News said in a statement.

Persons feeling they need assistance may call Hopeline hotlines 804-HOPE (4673); 0917-558-HOPE (4673); or 2919 (toll-free number for Globe and TM subscribers).

Edited by MUF

Outbrain