Palawan Declares Vloggers Rosmar and Labador Persona Non Grata Amid Viral Video Controversy In an unexpected development, Rendon Labador and well-known YouTuber Rosemarie Tan Pamulaklakin, often known as "Rosmar," have been proclaimed persona non grata by the Palawan Provincial Board.
The choice was made in response to a widely shared video that featured the social media stars insulting a Coron municipal employee.
The resolution was approved on Tuesday, one day before the Coron municipal council made a comparable decision.
During a privilege speech, Provincial Board Member Juan Antonio Alvarez chastised the two for their impolite treatment of Jho Cayabyab Trinidad, a city employee. The incident, recorded on June 15 and shared on Labador's social media accounts, shows Labador harshly criticizing Trinidad after she posted a negative comment about the outreach program led by Rosmar and Labador’s "Team Malakas." The video also features Rosmar loudly complaining and crying about Trinidad’s post. “Extending assistance does not give them the right to berate, be rude to, and disrespect the institution of Coron,” Alvarez emphasized, noting that Trinidad’s critique of the outreach activity was made in her personal capacity and not as a municipal government employee.
Alvarez elaborated that the declaration serves as an expression of the sentiment of the local government, meaning while the influencers are unwelcome in Palawan, no law prohibits them from entering the province. “But the fact that they are not welcome here, they should be ashamed from coming back,” he added. The video, posted on June 14, has stirred significant backlash from residents of Palawan. In the video, Labador can be seen berating Trinidad inside the town hall while Rosmar expresses her grievances vocally. The public's reaction was swift, condemning the influencers for their perceived exploitation and disrespect towards the local community.
Trinidad's now-deleted post accused Team Malakas of using the townspeople of Coron merely for social media content, describing the outreach program as poorly organized, with people waiting for hours under intense heat without food or water. She also claimed the group utilized municipal staff without proper compensation. Provincial Board Member Roseller Pineda highlighted the need for a national regulating body to establish rules and ethical standards for social media content creators.
“Vlogging is no longer just a form of expression but has also become a livelihood that requires regulatory standards,” Pineda noted. In response to the backlash, Rosmar and Team Malakas posted an apology on TikTok, expressing regret for their actions and stating they would accept any repercussions from the local government, including the persona non grata declaration.
Despite Rosmar's earlier statement that she would "never go back to Coron," the apology aimed to mend relations with the affected community.
Rosmar, 28, is an entrepreneur who owns the skin, beauty, and cosmetics brand Rosmar International, boasting over 20 million followers on TikTok.
Rendon Labador, 38, is a fitness instructor with a substantial following on Instagram, where he shares fitness tips and routines with over 100,000 followers. As the controversy continues to unfold, the declaration by Palawan’s Provincial Board serves as a stark reminder of the responsibilities that come with social media influence and the impact of public behavior on community relations.