JM de Guzman has had enough of Pinoys criticizing him for his appearance. The 35-year-old actor clarified his sentiments on Instagram after posting a series of screenshots where he exposed dozens of commenters who pointed out his weight gain.

JM de Guzman calls out critics on Instagram

“Si JM ba ‘yan?” “Ang taba ni JM,” and “Ba’t tumaba naman siya?” were some hurtful comments captured on de Guzman’s screenshot.

Some even paired criticism with compliments in an attempt to remove the sting somehow: “Parang tumaba [na] ngayon si JM, o gawa lang ng damit. But ang gwapo pa rin, in fairness.”

“Masakit kayo magsalita,” captioned the actor.

Meanwhile, a handful of Pinoy personalities left encouraging comments on the post and reminded de Guzman of how well-loved he is.

“Whew. Ibang klase. How can people be so mean. Kala nila nasa sarili lang nila silang mga kwarto at nakikipagkwentuhan sa mga barkada nila habang namumulutan ng ibang tao. These people are not happy people thats for sure,” said de Guzman’s fellow actor John Arcilla.

“You are such an amazing actor. Your mastery of craft is what matters. Learn to ignore,” commented columnist Tim Yap.

“Yes. Wag mong pansinin!!!!!” said broadcaster Ces Drilon.

Pinoys are a judgemental bunch

The good news is that many Pinoys know how rude these unsolicited comments are. Folks on social media rallied to give de Guzman words of encouragement and to educate fellow Filipinos.

“Feeling perfect marami sa bansa natin. Hindi kayang tumingin lang kilangan pa may masabi ayos sana kong positibo at nakakatulong bagkos pandurog ng puso. God bless you sir,” read one comment on Facebook.

“Grabe talaga sa pilipinas. Ang daming perpek. Tsaka kadalasan sa kanila yung mga nagsasabi ng ganyan is may mga edad na. Grabe parang walang character development,” said another disappointed netizen.

However, the bad news is that whether you deny it or accept it, Pinoys are a judgemental bunch. Our culture of marites neighbors and chismoso relatives is enough proof. We’ve all participated in the Olympic sport that is dodging questions about why you’ve gained weight, why you’re not in a relationship, or when you’re going to have kids.

News flash: These comments are hurtful. You don’t know what anyone is going through.

JM de Guzman is dealing with mental health issues

It takes guts to do what de Guzman has done. Reading comments criticizing you about something you can’t control (or probably haven’t even noticed about yourself) and admitting in public how it hurts you takes a special kind of bravery. But the actor is no stranger to sharing his vulnerabilities with the public.

In 2015, de Guzman shared that he is often plagued with “anxiety attacks, bipolar [disorder], and depression.” In 2020, he uploaded a video showing how these panic attack episodes affect his sleep and how he deals with it — deep breaths and towels dipped in freezing water to “slow down [his] heartbeat” and “feel [his] face because [his] body is numb.”

He even filmed himself in the middle of a mild panic attack in 2021:

Choose your words with care

Don’t be the reason for someone’s self-esteem taking a hit. It’s already a stressful world out there, we should practice kindness toward each other all the more.

If you can’t help but absentmindedly comment about others, you can follow the 5-second rule: Only comment about someone’s appearance if they can change it in the next 5 seconds or less. Vegetables in their teeth, smudged make-up, dirt on their clothes — these can all be fixed on the spot. If you’re about to comment on a person’s weight gain, acne flare-up, or crooked teeth, you’re better off keeping those sentiments to yourself. Don’t underestimate your power to make or break someone’s day — or worse, their life — just from a single “random” comment online.