Celebrities who dare speak

By Herman M. Lagon

Sometimes it begins quietly—a joke that exposes bias, a post that corrects a lie, a knee taken in silence. Entertainment may be the stage, but the light often turns into something that reaches places power forgets. In those moments, stars stop performing. They become megaphones for those with none, braving criticism and boycotts to say what many only whisper at kitchen tables or in tricycles.

April 9—Araw ng Kagitingan—offers a quiet reminder: courage does not always announce itself. In Bataan, it looked like standing ground and enduring what followed. No spotlight, just resolve. That same thread runs through today, in moments when people choose to speak rather than stay silent.

Vice Ganda is easy to dismiss as entertainment—wigs, jokes, quick laughs. But there is something firmer underneath—a refusal to let go of dignity, inclusivity, literacy, and good governance. In a country where standing out can still mean being shut down, Vice’s presence on primetime does quiet, steady work—breaking walls in ways no speech can. A bullied child or a closeted teen finds a kind of courage when humor allows truth to surface between laughter. Representation matters. For many, simply watching Vice thrive is already resistance.

Leadership can also be steady and quiet. Pasig’s young mayor, Vico Sotto, reminds us that advocacy does not need noise to matter. Through clean budgeting, digital systems, and firm accountability, he has built trust across different groups. When classrooms improve and health centers function as they should, quiet reforms carry more weight than speeches.

Among younger artists, Nadine Lustre wears the grounded “woke” tag with pride. She speaks on tough issues, brushing off trolls with ease. Her work—from climate strikes for the Sierra Madre to animal welfare and a brave electoral campaign grounded in radical love—feels less like a bid for applause and more like a quiet way of teaching the public. When leaders feel relatable, young people move. Nadine Lustre’s candor eased the stigma around depression and activism.

Angel Locsin, meanwhile, proves fame can be a bridge. She stays present—from disaster response to speaking out against red-tagging—standing with those often unseen. By rejecting paid media, she shows authenticity still matters. Like Vice and Nadine, she takes the conversation beyond hashtags to real issues of justice.

They are not alone. Couple Ogie Alcasid and Regine Velasquez, Ben&Ben, Ogie Diaz, Elijah Canlas, Bituin Escalante, Cherrie Pie Picache, Maja Salvador, Gab Valenciano, Mimiyuuuh, Dingdong Dantes, Sharon Cuneta, Rivermaya, Ely Buendia, Moira dela Torre, Pipay, Monique Wilson, Donny Pagnilinan, Kim Chiu, and Alyssa Valdez—with hundreds of other national sports figures, media personalities, visual artists, writers, and cultural workers—supported the Pink Movement in the last two elections. Juan Miguel Severo, Leah Navarro, and Jim Paredes championed rights through performance.

Liza Soberano faced red-tagging for women’s causes; Enchong Dee pushed inclusive education; Janine Gutierrez exposed lies on the social media. Agot Isidro spoke against abuse, Bianca Gonzales-Intal called for social justice, Catriona Gray raised HIV, scoliosis, and good governance awareness, Anne Curtis continued her UNICEF work for children in need, and Lea Salonga, often considered moderate, defended the essence of democracy. Joey Ayala, Dong Abay, Noel Cabangon, and Bayang Barrios sang for people and land. At the same time, Joel Lamangan, Kidlat Tahimik, Kip Oebanda, and Ramon Bautista employed stories and satire to expose hypocrisy. Different forms, same courage.

What makes them different is that they do not disappear after the applause. They stay, follow through, and do the hard, often unnoticed work. Advocacy becomes real when it goes beyond emotions and begins to change systems—not just conversations. Some choose quiet service.

The lesson is echoed abroad. LeBron James proves legacy is not just stats. With “More Than a Vote,” he rallied Black communities to defend their votes. He follows the trail of Muhammad Ali, who gave up championships for refusing to fight in Vietnam. Like Tommie Smith (Track & Field), Megan Rapinoe (Soccer), Colin Kaepernick (Football), and Garry Kasparov (Chess), Ali’s sacrifice was heavier, but James still risks sponsors and vitriol for pushing racial justice. For our athletes chasing medals, his example says victory is not only measured on scoreboards but in the lives touched. What Olympian Hidilyn Diaz, EJ Obiena, Alex Eala, and Jia De Guzman have done—advocating for better government support and raising social awareness—is one strong example.

The same pattern appears beyond sports. Figures like Robert De Niro (Godfather—Vito Corleone), Meryl Streep (Miranda Priestly, Devil Wears Prada), George Clooney (Batman), Emma Watson (Hermione Granger, Harry Potter), Mark Ruffalo (Hulk), Angelina Jolie (Lara Croft, Tomb Raider), and Jennifer Lawrence (Hunger Games) use their platforms not for spectacle but for sustained civic work—defending democratic norms, press freedom, and basic fairness even when it invites backlash. What holds them together is persistence, not perfection—the quiet truth that speaking up only counts when it leads to showing up, taking risks, and working even after the applause has died down.

Of course, there is danger when celebrities chase power instead of service. We have seen how quickly fame can turn into political clout without the grounding of competence. Not all voices that speak out carry the same weight. Some do not shed light—they add to the noise. They pass on misinformation, adjust their stance when it benefits them, or say the right words without living them. People feel that gap. They may stay quiet, but they see it. And eventually, the difference stands out—between those who perform and those who commit.

Advocacy carries weight when it feels lived. People can tell when it is grounded in truth—when Vice speaks from experience, when Nadine opens up honestly, or when Angel shows up where help is needed, even without recognition. That is where trust begins.

Celebrities do not make laws, but they shape conversations that often matter just as much. One voice can reach far, sometimes farther than expected. Fame is not about recognition, but about impact. And like the courage remembered every Araw ng Kagitingan, what endures is not the spotlight, but the will to stand when it counts.

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Doc H fondly describes himself as a “student of and for life” who, like many others, aspires to a life-giving and why-driven world grounded in social justice and the pursuit of happiness. His views do not necessarily reflect those of the institutions he is employed or connected with.