COMEDIAN Awra Briguela is facing criminal complaints following the bar brawl that ensued between her and her friends and a group of individuals on Thursday, June 29, in Makati City.
The 19-year-old television, movie and social media personality has been arrested and detained at the Makati City Police Headquarters.
Briguela, whose real name is Mc Neal Briguela and uses the pronouns she/her, is facing complaints for physical injuries, alarm and scandal, disobedience to a person in authority and direct assault. Her case will be forwarded to the prosecutor’s office for inquest proceedings.
A complainant said she instigated the fight, but Briguela’s friends said she was only defending a friend from harassment.
Videos circulating online of Briguela’s arrest showed police officers grabbing her and dragging her toward a police vehicle, prompting netizens to decry the treatment she received at the law enforcers’ hands.
Complainant ‘forced’ to strip?
An initial report from the Makati Police Station said Briguela allegedly started a fight at Bolt Hole Bar in Poblacion, which led to a brawl involving several individuals and her subsequent arrest.
The report said complainant Mark Christian Ravana, who was at the place with his friends for a despedida party, claimed that Briguela walked up to him, teased him and “compel[led]” him to take off his shirt. Ravana refused.
Ravana said he moved away from Briguela and her group of friends by going down the stairs and out the bar. But he said Briguela supposedly got irked, followed him, pulled his shirt, and hit him.
A commotion ensued and Briguela’s friends came and allegedly took turns hitting Ravana.
The report said police personnel from the Poblacion substation responded to the incident and tried to “pacify” Briguela.
But it alleged that she “got irked,” “shouted [at]” and “badmouthed” the policemen, and asked them if they knew who she was. It also alleged that when a policeman asked her to stay calm, she pushed him, which led to her arrest.
In a video being circulated online, Briguela could be seen trying to get out of the grasp of police officers.
Following her arrest, Briguela was initially brought to the Poblacion substation for documentation, and then to the Ospital ng Makati for mandatory examination. She was then brought to the Makati Police Station.
Friends rally around Awra
The comedian’s friends immediately came to her defense.
Social media personality Riva Quenery, Briguela’s friend who visited her at the Makati police station, said Briguela told her that she was just trying to defend a friend after a group of men touched this friend inappropriately at the bar.
Quenery said this led to a heated confrontation, and one of the men punched Briguela.
“Nauwi sa mainit na pagtatalo yung mga sumunod na nangyari na kung saan sinuntok sya ng nasabing lalaki,” she said.
A fight broke out, and the police came. She echoed calls asking why Briguela was the only one placed in handcuffs. Her friend also bore injuries from the incident, she noted.
“Nakita ko pa kanina na ang dami nyang pasa sa likod, at may malaking bukol pa sa ulo. Hindi man lang siya sinuri or pinagamot ng maayos,” she said.
She called on the police to investigate the incident thoroughly.
“BAKIT? GUSTO NYO BANG GAWING TROPHY SI AWRA? Laliman nyo naman ang imbestigasyon nyo hindi yung alam nyo nang mali, pinaninindigan nyo pa. So nasaan na yung mga nanghipo sa mga kaibigan ni Awra? Nasaan na yung sumapak sa kanila na kahit may pulis na dumating eh hindi nagsitigil at kay Awra lang lahat naka focus. ACHIEVEMENT BA PARA SAINYO DAHIL SI AWRA ANG NAHULI NYO?” she said.
YouTuber Melissa Enriquez called on netizens to make sure people know what led to the fight, which is Briguela protecting her friends.
YouTuber Zeinab Harake also took to Twitter to defend her friend. She said Briguela would do anything to protect the people she loves.
“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,” she tweeted.
“Kaya andito den kaming mga totoong ipag lalaban ka walang iwanan sa ere ayun ang tunay na kaibigan!!” she added.
Netizens call for #justiceforawra
As the video went viral online, netizens gave their take on how the police handled Briguela. Many were unhappy over the police conduct and rolled out the hashtags #justiceforawra and “#standwithawra.”
Drag Race Philippines 2nd placer Marina Summers slammed the actions of the police personnel who arrested Briguela.
In two tweets, Summers called out the authorities’ “excessive use of force” on Briguela.
Noting that the latter was unarmed, she said the “heavy manhandling was unnecessary.” She also critcized the discrimination against members of the LGBTQIA+ community that’s been happening in the district of Poblacion.
In her second tweet, Summers asked the police why they had not given the same treatment to the person who allegedly harassed Briguela’s friend.
Several netizens had their eyes on the policeman who handcuffed Briguela while her friends were asking him what she had done to warrant it.
Others said Briguela’s arrest was unacceptable since she was only supposedly protecting a friend from harassers.
LGBTQIA+ community groups also condemned the police’s “brutality” and “transphobia,” or the prejudice or strong dislike against gay and transgender people, in relation to Briguela’s arrest.
“Malinaw na halimbawa ng transphobia at police brutality ang marahas na pagdukot kay Awra, na inaresto matapos tumindig para sa kaibigan niyang hinaharras,” said Bahaghari, the national alliance of LGBTQIA+ advocates.
Metro Manila Pride also condemned the incident.
“Tumitindig kami kasama ni Awra Briguela, at nangangakong gagawin ang lahat ng makakaya ng organisasyon upang makatulong sa pagkamit ng hustisya,” it said.
UP Babaylan, meanwhile, called for a stop to attacks on the rights of women and members of the LGBTQIA+ community.
It renewed its call for the immediate passage of the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Expression or the SOGIE bill.
