The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) announced on Friday that it will issue a show-cause order against a transport network vehicle service (TNVS) driver who allegedly posted inappropriate comments online about actress Xyriel Manabat.
“Aside from suspending the Transport Network Company, the LTFRB will issue a show-cause order to this driver,” said LTFRB board member Greg Pua during a briefing. “We have already identified who the driver and operator are. Within the day, we will issue the necessary show-cause order,” he added.
The controversy stemmed from the online spread of a post by an account named “Boss Toyo Mansi,” which featured a photo with Manabat accompanied by comments that allegedly sexualized the actress. The account has since been deleted, but screenshots continue to circulate online.
Manabat vowed to take action against the TNVS driver, emphasizing that such posts should not be dismissed as mere jokes or trivial matters. She stated that women should not have to experience this kind of behavior in their daily lives.
“Now that I’m seeing this, I’m sure that I’ll do something about it. This should not be made entertainment in any form. And at the same time, I hope the platform or the app should do something about this because it’s not petty.”
For its part, Grab Philippines said the driver-partner involved has been placed under preventive suspension pending the results of an ongoing investigation. The company also issued a formal apology to Manabat for the incident, which they described as “unacceptable.”
“What was reported is deeply concerning and does not reflect the standards we uphold on the platform,” according to Grab Philippines. “We are already in direct contact with Ms. Manabat, have offered our full support and ensured her concerns were heard. We are also prepared to cooperate fully with relevant authorities,” the company added.