HATAW! D'yaryo ng Bayan hatawtabloid.com
DAHIL ang event na dinaluhan namin eh, may kinalaman sa mga guro na kada taon nga ay inihahatid ng PLDT-Smart Foundation, sa kanilang Gabay Guro, nausisa ko sa mga tanong tungkol sa pambu-bully ang celebrities na nasa dressing room na naghihintay ng pag-akyat nila sa entablado para makisaya sa may 15,000 educators doon sa SM-Mall of Asia-ARENA noong Sabado ng hapon.
Nakatsika ko si Martin Nieverra at ang tanong ko sa kanya eh, if he was bullied or was he the bully noong nag-aaral pa siya.
Natumbok namin ang isang katotohanan nang aminin ni Martin na yes, he was bullied. He was in grade school in a public school in Hawaii na ilang taon din silang namalagi.
“Because I was Asian. Racism. And that time, sa Hawaii, you can dress as you please, tsinelas, shorts. Eh, kami, naka-polo na malinis. May belt. Naka-tuck in. Kaya they though I was a nerd. They even tagged me as a ‘fag’. Hindi ba rito, ‘bakla’ ang ibig sabihin niyon. Doon, when you are being tagged as that, you are a nerd and a wimp. So, ako ang napapag-trip-an nila. They get my lunch money. Kaya most of the time, I stay in the CR, with mentally challenged students, no offense meant. To top it all, many times na my twin sister Vicky ang nagde-defend sa akin when I was bullied. And that even made matters worst. Kasi, babae ang nagde-defend sa akin.”
Hindi na raw ipinarating ito ni Martin sa kanyang mga magulang. Dahil kinakabahan din siya at mababa ang kanyang mga grade.
“But when I got na into high school, ah doon, I made bawi na. Roon pa rin kami sa US. But I made sure na I made good in school. So, ako na ang class president. Ako na ang captain ng basketball team. And ako na ang peacemaker. Even if I don’t know what it is they are fighting about. Basta, inaayos ko lang.”
Nakabisita naman daw si Martin with his former educators doon when he as a singer na at ipinagmalaki naman niya ang mga na-achieve na niya rito to be known as the country’s Concert King.
Ang dagdag na tanong ko eh, kung nangyari ba ito sa mga anak niyang sina Robin at Ram?
“That was my greatest fear. That they be bullied and then hide behind trees. Alam mo, when our kids go to school, parang pupunta sila sa war, hindi ba? It’s a different ballgame. But good thing, Robin was the biggest in his class. And he’s the friendliest. The lovingest. All the bullies now are cowards. Ako binubugbog talaga. ‘Yung ngayon, idinadaan sa social media. Fraternity naman is different. So, I uphold the teachers who can take care of our kids na we entrust to them. Nakatatakot talaga, eh. Sa US now, nababalitaan mo na lang may nagsu-suicide because of bullying. Yes, I heard there is a law now. But why do we have to pass a law after someone gets hurt na?”
Happy din si Martin seeing his friends from the different networks na nagsi-share ng isang entablado and cause with him.
“It’s about time na rin kasi to end this network wars. Mga executive lang naman ang naga-away-away, hindi ba? Kami namang lahat, we’re okay. Alam mo naman sa showbiz. But this is a great cause. Also for the future leaders of this country.”
Pilar Mateo
