Online ‘heckler’ says she's a victim of stolen identity

In the aftermath of Storm Ondoy, distressed Filipinos around the world took to the Internet, with many gritting their teeth and just doing what they can to track down loved ones, identify the worst-hit areas, and drum up aid and assistance. Amidst the calls for action and expressions of support, an overseas Pinay named Jacqueline Bermejo had the audacity to smirk at the calamity and update her Facebook status with a sneering "buti n lng am hir in dubai! maybe so many sinners bak der! so yeah deserving wat hapend!" Or at least that’s what everyone believed she wrote. The response was instantaneous. With Filipinos around the world glued to the Internet to get updates on the storm and possible news on their loved ones, the story of her crude and insensitive status message (screenshot included as unassailable proof) quickly spread. Many netizens pounced on her, claws out, teeth bared, telling her in no uncertain terms that she was a shoddy excuse for a Filipino and that she should have been the one who was washed away by flood waters.

The name Jacqueline Bermejo suddenly joined the ranks of Malou Fernandez and Tracy Borres, who have also been widely reviled online for looking down their noses on fellow Filipinos. And so a virtual mob was born, banging their fists against Jacqueline's online doors. Some of them swarmed her Multiply account and Facebook page, spamming them with angry comments and even information on where to donate cash and relief goods. Blog posts about Jacqueline came alive with comments, many of them colorful unprintables. There were also individuals who scoffed that she stumbled on a quick and easy way to fame. Others took their disapproval of her controversial statements to another level, even starting Facebook groups and pages against her, such as "Jacque Bermejo Mamatay Ka Na," "Jacque Bermejo Persona Non Grata," and "Anti Jacque Bermejo," where people can join and participate in vilifying Jacqueline. A group of "concerned citizens" also reportedly wrote to Jacqueline's employers, telling them that they're not asking for her to be fired from her job, just that they should know about her behavior and that the group hopes it doesn't give the company a bad impression of Filipinos. Not everyone shared the outrage, however. While many agreed that her comments were unacceptable, some people still chose to step back and appealed for calm. Others were trying to figure out why Jacqueline was behaving that way, with some of them concluding that perhaps her life here in the Philippines was unthinkably horrible and some telling everyone to consider the possibility that she didn't write the offending message at all. They also chided other people for throwing their energy into bashing Jacqueline instead of directing that same enthusiasm towards helping Ondoy's victims. At the same time, the Internet community wondered who this woman was and how anyone could have the gall to be so disrespectful at a time like this. All anyone knew about her was that she worked as a PR associate for a real estate company in Dubai. Some people claimed to know Jacqueline, or at least know someone who knows her, and said they can reliably tell everyone that she is exactly what her status message suggests she is: self-righteous and matapobre. Yet others also said they know Jacqueline personally and that she wasn’t the type to make those foul statements. A certain Sarino Tesandori has left a comment on a blog, saying Jacqueline is “one of the most decent ladies I know." Jacqueline’s brother posted a response as well, saying, “Ang ate ko hindi ganyan kung mag-english, edukada sister ko at nag-graduate sa UP... Hindi basta basta si Ate Jack magpo-post na magsisira sa family name namin. Dumaan din kami sa hirap, at for your information binagyo din ang lugar namin, TATLONG BESES. Why in the world will my ate as a filipino disgrace our family and citizen, sana po wag muna kayo manghusga." With Jacqueline currently being Online Enemy Number 1, anyone coming to her defense was accused of either being Jacqueline herself or that the defender must be her lover. Then finally, Jacqueline released her own statement. She said that she had been the target of a malicious online attack for the past two years, with the person using her name and pictures in Friendster, Facebook, and Multiply. "About two years ago, an anonymous source created these accounts using my identity, posting my personal details, my real pictures captioned roughly and attacking other people... These malicious statement(s) which are posted under account names Jacque or Jackie are not of my doing. It is unfortunate that such statements were maliciously attributed to me andI [sic] do sympathize and understand the adverse and somehow verbally violent reaction that has been elicited by such insensitive statements or posts." The statement also clarified that she would not have made any of the comments attributed to her and that she is working with the Dubai Police on the matter. She affirms her love for the Philippines, saying: "I have a deep respect and regard for my country. I am proud to be a Filipino and would never say or do anything to harm the interest of my country or countrymen...Making a mockery of any unfortunate incidents befalling any of my fellow Filipinos is simply contrary to my character. The statement was greeted with general disbelief that anyone would go through the trouble of defaming another person online. Some people concluded that it was just an attempt by Jacqueline to cover up for her mistake. Calls for a public apology persisted, and it seemed as though nothing less than a national address would satisfy the offended. Guilty or not, Jacqueline Bermejo has found the social media world a cold and lonely place. While Typhoon Ondoy has shown us that we're all capable of working with one another, it also shows how quickly that same crowd of helpful, caring individuals can turn into a snarling horde. - GMANews.TV