To have a fair skin never crossed the mind of Senator Nancy Binay.
At the recent launch of her book Make Love Not War, the morena politician was asked: Did you ever try glutathione?
The 45-year-old senator replied, "Actually, meron akong friend nga, e, ganyan din ang negosyo niya.
"Isang box nga yung pinadala sa bahay. May coffee, may soap, may lotion. Wala, hindi, e."
In fact, in defiance of dermatologists' advise to shield one's skin against the sun, she said, "Ang favorite ko talagang gawin ay mag-sunbathing."
Smiling, she added, "I love going to the beach. So talagang hindi tayo puputi."
She is not into fashion as well, "Kung puwede lang, shorts and slippers, the whole day."
But her nonchalance toward her skin color and sense of style seems to turn off netizens
"I think ako ata ang queen of getting bashed," she quipped.
One lesson she learned throughout the five years she has been serving as a senator was "dapat hindi talaga dinidibdib at hindi pinapansin."
Does this mean she does not read these nasty comments?
"Ay hindi po, binabasa ko every day," she said, laughing.
"Kasi gaya nung iba, I appreciate, kasi yung iba talaga, nakakatuwa naman...lalung-lalo na yung mga memes, talagang naa-appreciate ko yun.
"Kasi isipin mo, di ba, yung time and effort to do a meme on me is a, ano ba tawag dun? Parang compliment. Yun yung, that’s how I look at it."
When asked about the worst comment she read, she answered, "Ang dami, e. Well I guess siguro yung ano, SONA outfit..."
Both gowns were designed by Randy Ortiz.
The daughter of former Vice President Jejomar Binay remarked, "That was not my designer’s fault, it was my fault because hindi ako nakikinig sa kanya when he was explaining to me how to wear the dress.
"Kasalanan ko yun, hindi niya kasalanan. Nadamay lang siya. Actually yun yung…dun ako na-bother because other, may nadadamay na ibang tao."
But she would not contest the memes.
"Minsan naman, aminado ako na totoo yung…totoo yung sinasabi, for example yung, iyan yung sa SONA...I admit na talagang, totoo namang mukha akong parachute, mukha akong Fiona, 'tapos may isa pang Pokemon character..."
One of her children saw the memes that went viral on Facebook.
"...Yung anak kong babae, sabi sa ’kin, 'You know mom, among the characters, sabihin mo gusto mo yung Pokemon ka, yung Pokemon princes.
"'Kasi alam mo yung Pokemon princess na yun, mom, kahit ganun itsura nun, powerful yung Pokemon character na yun.'
"Sabi ko, 'Okay.'"
She said her book, Make Love Not War "is my way of telling people who’s being cyberbullied on how to cope with social media bashers."
She continued, "Since the netizens can hide their identities, they can bash all they want.
"Yung mga nagba-bash online, akala din kasi nila na wala silang nasasaktan.
"Dati, wala pang social media, hindi mo naman sasabihin doon sa kausap mo na, 'Pangit ka,' whatever.
"Kasi siyempre, hindi mo kaya gawin yun, may face to face, e, unlike online.
"Hindi mo nakikita yung reaction nung sinasabihan mo nang masakit.
"Hindi mo nakikita na nasasaktan siya, walang ganung kumbaga response, walang feedback.
"Sana maging aware sila na kung sila ba yung nasabihan ng ganun, hindi ba din sila masasaktan?
"If they do it to other people, na hindi porket hindi mo nakikita yung reaction nung sinasaktan mo, okay na na gawin mo yung ginagawa mo?"
In short, her book reminds what the golden rule says: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.