“I don’t lie. I’m not a racist. He made me look like one.”

This is how Singaporean national Serene Ho described her intense and now serious online feud with an OFW who’s been promoting the parliamentary system for the Philippines.

Recently, Ms Ho reported her cyber-bully, Orion Perez Dumdum, to Singapore’s police, stating that the latter “will pay for this!” Ms Ho also claims she’s been receiving threats from Dumdum’s “friends” for what he’s been posting online. This means that the authorities and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority might deport and ban Dumdum, an OFW who has been working in Singapore for years, from staying in the city-state.

One screenshot provided by Ms. Ho reveals what could be a post from Dumdum, saying: “Foreign Talent took your jobs away because you were incompetent.”

It all started when Ms Ho posted what became a viral post picked up by both Singaporean and Philippine media, questioning Singapore-based Filipina influencer Zoey Gabriel’s claims on social media about her family’s status. Gabriel faced backlash for calling a Charles & Keith bag “luxury.”

In her Facebook post on April 11, Ho wrote: “It appears that the Charles and Keith Pinoy girl is not as poor as she makes herself out to be. Her dad probably earns more than most Singaporeans. How many of us can afford to homeschool our kids?”

This could be because one of Gabriel’s TikTok posts made many suspicious when she claimed that “growing up, my family didn’t have a lot,” and they couldn’t even “buy things as simple as bread from BreadTalk.”

Then Serene Ho learned that Gabriel’s father’s job is that of a mechanical engineer earning a modest amount in Singapore.

In fact, Ms Ho defended Gabriel back in January when the latter faced criticism for simply calling her bag “luxury.” She wrote on Facebook on January 12: “She (Gabriel) did Charles and Keith a big favor. Best endorsement ever!”

In a Facebook conversation with Ms Ho, she said her tone changed when she learned about Gabriel’s father’s job and how hard he worked to provide a better life for her.

Many Filipinos and Singaporeans echoed the same sentiment, as some users in an online forum based in Singapore sensed an attempt at clout-chasing. That is, playing poor or the victim card to attract people’s attention and support.

As one online user (in Sammyboy.com) posted: “This is a low IQ attention-seeking on social media problem.” But of course, the Filipina TikToker is still young and will have a lot to learn about life and how to appreciate the hardships of her parents.

Remember when Filipinos were outraged when then-presidential candidate Manny Villar claimed his family was so poor that he had to swim in a sea of trash while growing up? Many Filipino parents saw it as an insult to Villar’s parents, especially his mother, who worked hard to give their son, now a billionaire, a better life.

Now enter the aptly named Orion Perez Dumdum, who, according to some Singaporean netizens, shamelessly acted as Gabriel’s “white knight” and savior, even attempting to steal the spotlight from her by turning himself into a victim as well.

Dumdum went on a barrage of Facebook posts in April, calling Serene Ho names and even claiming that she’s been inciting Singaporeans against him and Ms Gabriel.

On April 14, Dumdum drew the first blood after posting Ho’s photo and claimed that she “has recently been inciting hatred against Zoey Gabriel (the Charles & Keith girl) and her family.”

In a conversation with Ms Ho, she said: “He posted my photo. So I had to reply. He is mad.”

In one post, Dumdum even made veiled threats, somehow telling his supporters not to “physically attack” Ms Ho.

In fact, a YouTuber with over 66,000 subscribers called Dumdum’s online behavior and cyber-bullying “the dumbest boomer Facebook beef of all time.”

Ho confirmed that Dumdum was in Singapore recently, but then “he went to Batam. He was scared.” Ho said, “Batam is a small island in Indonesia,” which is about 45-minute ride from the city-state. Dumdum is “scared,” adding what he did is a “quick exit from Singapore.”

Dumdum’s latest Facebook posts appear to show he recently stayed in Singapore.

Dumdum’s Facebook rant, wherein he called Singaporeans in a Singaporean accent “stupid idiots,” takes the cake. However, he deleted that video and issued a lame and insincere “apology” video, wherein he attempted to do his Filipino version of red-tagging against Ho and anyone who mocked him for his racist rants.

In that rant, Dumdum arrogantly claimed Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and the police are on his side.

“No one is on your side. You know, ask Madam Ho Ching, ask Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Ask the government. You think they’re on your side. Ask the police force. You think they’re on your side? They’re not on your side. They’re on the side of Zoey Gabriel, and they’re on my side,” Dumdum yelled.

Conversation with Serene Ho

The Daily Netizen listed what Ms Serene Ho went through and what she did so far:

1. Blocked Dumdum: “I blocked Dumdum because I did not want to argue with him.”
2. Persistent Engagement: “He was very persistent, getting weird people from his movement to text me with the link to his video.”
3. Manipulative Tactics: “He used the Muslim name to spam threaten me on all non-Zoe posts.”
4. Blocking Dumdum’s Followers: “I blocked them all so they can’t text me.”
5. Restricting Comments: “Now I lock all posts, only friends can comment. If not, his mad followers will attack me.”
6. Unmasking Dumdum’s Deception: “He claims he does not know her, but he attended her party. Liar.”
7. Defending Her Integrity: “I have not cyberbullied, I swear. I have nothing against Filipinos. I said nothing bad about her dad too. I only said he earns a lot.”
8. Silence from Zoe and Family: “I have not seen anything written by Zoe or her family about this matter after the clarification video.”
9. Resolute Resistance: “I will not let him win, especially when he is a foreigner. He wants to turn it into a Pinoy vs Singapore battle. That was never my intention.”

The ongoing online spat between Serene Ho and Orion Perez Dumdum showcases the resilience and determination of Serene Ho as she faces persistent engagement, manipulative tactics, and false claims. Through blocking, restricting comments, and defending her integrity, Serene Ho remains resolute in resisting Dumdum’s aggression and maintaining her stance amidst the conflict.