Angkas apologizes for ‘misstep’ on sex tweet
Credit to Author: ARIC JOHN SY CUA| Date: Thu, 01 Aug 2019 01:33:37 +0000
A ride-sharing firm which used sex as a marketing pitch on Twitter to promote its services has apologized for the “misstep.”
“We would like to emphasize that making our riders feel uncomfortable is the last thing we want to do,” Angkas CEO Angeline Tham posted on Thursday.
“For this, we sincerely apologize,” she said after Angkas likened its ride-sharing services to sex in a Twitter post on Tuesday night.
“It’s scary the first time pero masarap na ulit-ulitin (but it is fun when done repeatedly),” said the post, which drew flak from netizens and caught the attention of the Philippine National Police (PNP).
“Safety has always been our brand’s priority,” said the transport firm, which has deleted the controversial post.
“And we apologize for how our recent tweet has made users feel unsafe and cast doubt on the integrity of our service. Words and analogies are meant to help us connect with our audience. In this case, we’ve missed the mark. We take full responsibility for this misstep,” it said.
“We would like the public to know that while we believe sex should be discussed maturely and openly, our treatment of it through this tweet was far from desirable,” it said.
“Sex should never be used to create shame, fear, or disgust, and certainly not used lightly for the sake of some buzz,” said Angkas.
The PNP said the Angkas post was “not acceptable to commuters.”
“Matatakot ang tao sa Angkas pag ganito. (People will get scared of Angkas if they promote like this.) This is not promoting public safety in transport business anymore,” it said.
Last week, ride-hailing app Grab also faced criticism over a social media post, showing six actresses, who apparently broke up with a certain actor, to promote its six-seater GrabCar. The post was also taken down and Grab later apologized “for running the red light.”