
"Ang mali dito is irresponsible posting, acting on emotions without thinking."
This was Derek Ramsay's response to the recent issue involving Andi Eigenmann and Philmar Alipayo. It all started when Andi, the influencer and actress, posted a cryptic message on Instagram, calling someone a "wolf in sheep's clothing." She later shared screenshots of her seeking advice online about a friend wanting to get a couple's tattoo with a taken man.
Fans quickly connected this to a recent photo of Philmar, who got a new tattoo with his friend, Swedish photographer Pernilla Sjoö. It led to a flood of hate comments toward Pernilla, with some even creating fake accounts to spread false information about her.
As someone close to Pernilla, Derek couldn't stay silent any longer and decided to speak up on her behalf. In an exclusive interview with Ogie Diaz, Derek expressed his disappointment with how "irresponsible" the couple was in affecting Pernilla due to their personal issue.
"Sorry, Andi, I'm sorry. Hindi ako ano sa'yo a. For me, you should not have done that," he said. "Kung galit ka, naiintindihan ko iyon sa kultura ng Pilipino iyon. Mali na nagpa-tattoo sila together. "
Derek added, "She's a foreigner, she didn't do it with intent to hurt Andi. She didn't do it with the intent to steal which is now the chismis, 'di ba? Inaagaw. Pati ako nga nasabihan ngayon, damay na kami ni Ellen."
The actor explained that he felt compelled to speak out because of how the situation was affecting Pernilla and his family. According to Derek, Pernilla had been deeply affected by the online hate, locking herself in her room and crying every day. She's also scared of facing Andi's haters in public and is worried about how to explain everything to her family back home. The threats she received online eventually led her to deactivate all of her social media accounts.
"She's not okay. She's crying her eyes out everyday. She's a very private person, her mental health was so affected. She was a brave woman, she's a dear friend, she's close to me and Ellen. I can sleep in the same bed with Pernilla and my wife will not doubt. That's how close we are to her," he shared.
Derek clarified that Pernilla did try to reach out to Andi after she received the messages. However, he revealed that Andi's message was vague, leading to miscommunication on Pernilla's part." She reached out but it wasn't a reach out na, 'Hey we need to talk' or 'Hey what the hell?' She didn't mention anything. Siargao is a small place. If you want to talk to her, then why didn't you go to her house with your husband?" Derek pointed out.
Derek also expressed his disappointment in Philmar, telling him, "Magpakalalaki ka." He believed that Philmar should take the responsibility to fix the situation, as he played the bigger part in the issue. As the partner, Derek emphasized that Philmar should have known it was disrespectful for Andi to get a matching tattoo with a friend and that he should have apologized to Pernilla instead of letting her take the blame.
"Don't act on emotion. Think before you speak. Think before you act because the repercussions can be so big. I'm not trying to cause a fight between me, my family, Andi, and Philmar. Nandoon ako ulit sa tama and sa mali," Derek noted. "My advice to Pern is cut your friendship with Andi, cut your friendship with Philmar. Respect na lang, it's over, but you cut your friendship."
Currently, Derek is in touch with Pernilla and her boyfriend almost everyday, as he's concerned about their mental well-being.
Watch Derek Ramsay's whole interview, here: