"...people went overboard, attacking me below the belt. It was definitely not good," says Lao.
(SPOT.ph) Christopher Lao, the UP College of law student who earned instant Internet celebrity status when he drove his car into a flooded Metro Manila street, is now, well, informed. After his much talked-about TV meltdown which gave way to Facebook hate pages and jokes, the law student let his guard down and opened up to SPOT.ph about the infamous TV interview, becoming an accidental celebrity and why he wants to be the face of the fight against cyberbullying.
Tell us how you felt after the infamous TV interview came out.
It was definitely a career low for me. That’s how I felt, everything I worked so hard for was in shambles. I got so traumatized that I stayed away from television, I didn’t want to see news anymore. I felt so awful and traumatized. I stayed away from public places as well. I didn’t want to see people, especially those who know me, I didn’t know how to talk to them.
But you posted a statement after the interview?
Actually, I was pressured into coming out with a statement. I didn’t know if it was going to make it worse. Parang, I kept thinking, 'It’ll all just go away. Wag mo nang patulan.' But I decided to come out with a statement so I could thank all those who extended support. I also wanted to say sorry. Sabi ko sa sarili ko, ‘ magso-sorry ako sa mga nagalit, pasensiya na.’
A lot of people said that what happened to you was a form of cyberbullying. How do you feel about that?
Definitely. I agree. Binasa ko lahat, eh, so I know that I was bullied. I can’t deny it, I felt really bullied. And people went overboard, attacking me below the belt. It was definitely not good. It could destroy a person’s life.
If you could go back to that infamous TV interview, what would you do differently? Do you think you could have said something different during the interview?
(Laughs) If I could go back…I realize now that it was not under my control. I was so distraught. If I could go back, I would be distraught again, maybe the outcome would have been the same. It could have been changed…maybe through the interviewer. He could have asked me different questions, instead he wanted to shame me. Well, mission accomplished for him.
But you turned things around with the BPI ad. How did that deal happen?
McCann-Erickson contacted me and asked how I felt about doing an ad.
Were you surprised that they approached you for a TV commercial?
No, because at the height of it all, I got other offers [from other companies I’d rather not disclose] but I was not in any position to accept any offers because I didn’t feel okay about the entire thing, I was yet to pick myself up. I turned them down. I’m not an opportunistic person, I’m not a showbiz person. I’m just a regular guy so I said no. So I left the country, went to Hong Kong and Thailand with my family for two weeks. I thought I had to get away, to find solace.
