Piolo Pascual speaks up: Sagada trip had nothing to do with government

Piolo Pascual has issued a statement on his participation in the trip to Sagada and Banaue with film director Joyce Bernal to shoot videos for the upcoming State of the Nation Address.

“My trip to Sagada had nothing to do with the government,” the actor shared on his social media accounts Thursday. “I haven’t met the President personally and I don’t do politics as some may know.”

Piolo said he went to Sagada with Joyce and his friend Illac Diaz to help the director get footage for her video before the start of the SONA showing how the environment had changed positively because of the pandemic.

“This isn’t about the President,” said Piolo.

He said they applied for clearance to enter Sagada and they received a verbal approval from the mayor.

When they arrived, however, Joyce was invited by the Sanggunian Bayan and told that they could not stay, but they were offered to stay for the night due to their long travel.

The actor said the same happened in Banaue, where the mayor had to decline due to active COVID-19 cases in the municipality.

They were finally allowed entry in Baguio City, where they “just shot at places wherein nature was the subject and not the people.”

Piolo said throughout their travel that they had police escorts, and that they went through rapid testing before the trip. In Baguio, they also did a swab test.

“My association with Direk Joyce has got nothing to do with my political stand and as a citizen of this country. I love my country regardless of who the President is and I love my home network which is ABS-CBN,” he said. – RC, GMA News