Tuesday Vargas alerts NBI Cybercrime Division on alleged death threats

Trigger warning:  This story mentions depression, bullying and suicide.

Comedian and singer Tuesday Vargas called on the National Bureau of Investigation’s (NBI) Cybercrime Division to look into a netizen who sent her death threats and made defamatory and personal attacks against her over her hit song “Babae Po Ako.”

The actress brought the matter to social media, sharing a screenshot of the person's lengthy Facebook comment and tagging the NBI.

“NBI Cyber Crime Division reporting this person to your good office,” she wrote, calling on the agency to look into the alleged online harassment.

The netizen initially questioned Vargas' 2004 signature song, also known as “Di Ako Bakla,” and expressed offense over its lyrics.

“Sino ba kumanta ng ‘bakla kla kla kla’???” the commenter wrote. The person argued that the song was disrespectful toward straight men.

“Hindi mo ba alam na isang pambabalahura sa aming mga straight ang kanta mo? Hindi mo ba alam na karamihan sa aming mga lalaki nababastos sa ganyang paraan? Hindi mo ba alam na karamihan sa aming mga lalaki tatahimik na lang?” the comment read.

The commenter also brought up the higher suicide rate among men compared with women, claiming that many struggle to speak out against bullying. He even accused Vargas of being a bully herself.

However, the comment went beyond criticizing her music and escalated into personal attacks. The netizen used Vargas' experience with depression against her, adding, “Di ba lately na-depress ka? BUTI NGA SA'YO!”

The comment also included statements telling her to die and encouraging her to commit suicide. It further contained derogatory remarks against LGBTQIA+ people and dragged Vargas' family into the argument through an offensive remark about AIDS. “Maka-AIDS yang pamilya mo,” the commenter wrote.

The netizen continued to target Vargas' mental health. “Mga kagaya mo na kakarma na! Madepress ka pa sanang hay** ka!”

In response, Vargas, 45, called out the commenter for demanding respect while allegedly engaging in hateful behavior and making threats against her.

“You're crying about respect while typing death threats, hate speech and telling people to commit suicide,” she wrote. “You are the exact definition of the problem you're complaining about. The hypocrisy is loud. Take this toxic hate elsewhere.”

Vargas also signaled that she was prepared to pursue legal action, telling the commenter, “My legal team will be in touch.”

Along with the screenshot, she included the netizen's Facebook profile, making the person's name and photo visible in her public post.

As of this writing, it remains unclear if Vargas has formally filed a complaint.