After fans, celebrities, and members of the LGBTQIA+ community expressed their support for Awra Briguela, who was detained during a brawl in Makati, the hashtag #JusticeForAwra began trending on social media.
Awra, whose real name is Mcneal Briguela, was detained by Makati Police after a fistfight outside the Bolt Hole Bar in Poblacion, Makati, with the party of complainant Mark Christian Ravana.
Ravana claimed the actress approached him and asked him to take off his shirt.
When Ravana refused, Briguela allegedly followed him and tore his clothes, causing the disturbance.
Briguela's friend, content creator Zayla Nakajima, denied the claims, saying Ravana tried to sexually assault her and that Awra was only defending her.
Briguela was detained after being charged with physical injuries, alarm and scandal, disobedience to authority, and direct assault.
Briguela's friends, including celebrities Riva Quenery and Zeinab Harake, as well as content artists Ayn Bernos and Mica Salamanca, rallied to her defense, pointing out the authorities' alleged harsh handling of the individuals involved in the incident.
In her long Facebook post, Quenery shared her disappointment with the incident, stressing out her question about Briguela being the only one who was arrested.
"BAKIT SI AWRA LANG ANG PINOSAS-AN AT INARESTO? Nasaan yung mga ibang lalaking na involve sa away, she said in her post.
She also emphasized the ‘worst’ part, in which Briguela filed multiple charges, such as assault, disobedience, and resisting arrest.
Also, in Zeinab Harake’s Twitter post, she described Briguela as someone that every friend would be blessed to have.
"Having awra sa buhay ng mga kaibigan nya is a win grabe tong batang to sa sobrang pag mamahal nya magagawa nya yung mga bagay na hindi mo aasahan maparamdam lang nya sayong anjan sya sa hirap o ginhawa," read in her post.
"Kaya andito den kaming mga totoong ipag lalaban ka walang iwanan sa ere ayun ang tunay na kaibigan," she continued.
Having awra sa buhay ng mga kaibigan nya is a win grabe tong batang to sa sobrang pag mamahal nya magagawa nya yung mga bagay na hindi mo aasahan maparamdam lang nya sayong anjan sya sa hirap o ginhawa. kaya andito den kaming mga totoong ipag lalaban ka walang iwanan sa ere ayun…
— Zebby (@ZeinabHarake11) June 29, 2023
On the other hand, Bernos cannot hide her disappointment at the arrest of Briguela.
"Nakakaiyak panoorin yung ginawa nila kay Awra. Hindi ko matapos. Ang lala! Grabe sila," she said in her tweet.
"They gave the alleged harasser an alias while they plastered Awra’s mugshot everywhere. Wow ha," she added.
They gave the alleged harasser an alias while they plastered Awra’s mugshot everywhere. Wooooow ha
— Ayn Bernos (@aynbernos) June 29, 2023
Moreover, Salamanca also expressed her part, saying, "So now we’re just going to go for the one who addressed the harassment, not the one who did it?"
"Sana ganyan din kabilis at kalala action doon sa nanghipo," she added.
So now we're just gonna go for the one who addressed the harassment? Not the one who did it?
— Mika Salamanca (@mikslmnc) June 29, 2023
Meanwhile, Briguela was arrested by authorities following her involvement in a scuffle outside a bar in Poblacion, Makati, early Thursday morning.
She was reportedly nabbed for physical injuries, alarm and scandal, direct assault, and disobedience to a person in authority.
