John Lapus defended Atasha Muhlach
Seasoned comedian-director John Lapus addressed the bashers of actress-host Atasha Muhlach.
Atasha stars as the titular character in Bongga Ka, ‘Day!: The Annie Batungbakal Musical. It is set to premiere on September 18, 2026, at the Newport Performing Arts Theater, Pasay City, Metro Manila.
The musical features the timeless hits of the legendary Filipino band, Hotdog, including classics like “Pers Lab” and “Bongga Ka, ‘Day”. Atasha is joined by Sam Concepcion, Jeff Moses, and Anthony Rosaldo, portraying Romer Pasion, Annie’s leading man.
This stint of the daughter of showbiz veterans Aga Muhlach and Charlene Gonzalez became controversial since it was announced.
To recall, netizens questioned Atasha Muhlach’s credibility to portray the iconic role since an auditionee claimed that she never saw Atasha auditioning for the role.
Following the criticism, the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) released proof that Atasha auditioned. However, the negative reactions did not stop there.
Netizens and theater fans also criticized Atasha’s ability to portray Annie Batungbakal because, for them, her singing and dancing skills are subpar.
Amid the criticism, Atasha’s fans rally behind her, and some netizens held on to their optimism that the actress-host can pull it off during the actual performance.
In a recent interview, based on the video that was shared on Reddit, John Lapus, who is one of the cast members of the musical, defended their lead star.
“To address the issue, it is not Atasha’s fault at napakagalung nung bata at yun na ah opening namin sa September 18, lahat ng basher ni Atasha, mapapahiya kayo once you watch her on Bongga Ka ‘Day. Kakainin ninyo ang lahat ng sinabi ninyo, lahat ng sinuka ninyo lulunukin ninyo ulit,” John said.
Then, he reiterated, “Mapapahiya kayo, that’s one thing I can assure you.”
The Redditor who posted this under r/TeatroPH contradicted what the seasoned comedian-director said. “This is so funny. Calling every negative feedback “bashing” is a convenient way to avoid engaging with whether the criticism is actually valid. Criticism doesn’t become bashing just because it isn’t flattering,” the netizen wrote in the caption of the post.