Davide apologizes to Voice contestant for small cash aid

Juan Karlos Labajo (Photo courtesy of ABS-CBN)

CEBU Gov. Hilario Davide III apologized to Juan Karlos Labajo, The Voice Kids contestant of Consolacion town, Cebu for giving him only P100 as cash aid.

“The P100 was the last money in my wallet. Sorry if he found it too little. Many people come to my office for financial assistance.

When his grandmother came here, she didn’t specify what contest. I gave out of my pocket and it was small,” a smiling Davide said as he showed his wallet to reporters.

Netizens were abuzz over Labajo’s disclosure of Davide’s P100 cash aid during the showbiz talk show The Buzz.

TV host Toni Gonzaga gave Labajo time to thank his supporters and he mentioned about Davide’s cash aid. “It’s a shame because JK is in the top 4 and The Voice is televised throughout the country,” said one YouTube user. Others said Labajo shouldn’t have mentioned it on TV.

“I agree that the issue should not be made bigger and it’s true that they are just kids. They don’t know what they are saying,” another YouTube user said.

Davide said he cannot source money from the provincial government funds because it wasn’t an item in their annual budget.

Still, Davide congratulated Labajo for placing third in The Voice. “The people of Consolacion and Cebu are proud of him,” he said.

Labajo dedicated his success to his late mother, who died last Nov.17