Mariz Umali Fires Back at Viral Video
MARIZ UMALI – GMA News anchor Mariz Umali insists she never referred to Medialdea as “matanda” in the viral video.
GMA News anchor Mariz Umali has denied accusations that she referred to former Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea as “matanda” (old) in a viral video that recently circulated online.
The controversy began when a video clip was uploaded by a netizen with the handle name “Queenchubs.” The clip captured the moment Medialdea was being taken out of The Hague Penitentiary Institution in the Netherlands on a stretcher after reportedly feeling unwell during a visit with former President Rodrigo Duterte on March 18, 2025.
In the video, which quickly spread on social media, the uploader included subtitles suggesting that Umali said, “Tingnan mo yung matanda, nakabukas yung mata niya kanina tapos nakita niya ako bigla niyang pinikit (laugh).” A person in the background responded, “Korek. Korek.” Umali was then heard addressing the person recording the video, saying, “Kuya, baka kina-capture mo yung sinabi namin.” The person responded, “Ate, sorry, naka-live ako.”
The clip immediately went viral, drawing criticism from netizens, particularly supporters of Duterte, who accused Umali of being disrespectful toward Medialdea.
On Wednesday night, March 19, Umali took to Facebook to clarify the incident and deny the accusations. She insisted that she never called Medialdea “matanda” and that the video had been misinterpreted.
“A certain vlogger has circulated a post containing my voice, claiming that I referred to Former Executive Secretary Medialdea as ‘matanda’ while he was on a stretcher. This interpretation is inaccurate,” Umali wrote.
Mariz Umali explained that what she actually said was “mata niya” (his eyes), not “matanda.” “What I actually said was, ‘Tingnan mo yung ‘mata niya,’ nakabukas siya nung una pero nung nakita niya ako, pinikit.'”
Umali further clarified that her comment was purely an observation about Medialdea’s eyes and was not intended to be disrespectful. “It is obvious that I was misheard. I want to be clear that no disrespect was intended toward Former Executive Secretary Medialdea.”
Both Umali and Medialdea were in The Hague for the ongoing International Criminal Court (ICC) hearings regarding Duterte’s alleged crimes against humanity. Umali was covering the trial for GMA News, while Medialdea had been supporting Duterte since his arrest by Interpol on March 11, 2025.
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