Singer Janine Berdin took to social media on Monday to finally address being the incessant target of “bashers” who have negative things to say about her looks.

In a lengthy message she penned through her Instagram Stories, the Tawag ng Tanghalan champion could barely hide her exasperation over critics who keep making fun of her physical appearance, citing: “Ayoko sanang sumagot, ayokong pumatol, pero sana masaya kayo sa mga pinaggagawa niyo. Kasi what else is there to gain from telling me I look like an ‘undin’? What else is there to gain when you tell me I have no right to sing because I’m not pretty enough except a laugh or two?

“I hope you understand this isn’t ok. Your words are powerful. More powerful than you know. Please re-evaluate what made you even THINK you have the right to do this to someone?”

In a separate story, Janine added: “Tsaka last na. [Bakit] mga ate, mga kuya, kasalanan ko ba naging ganto mukha ko?”

Luke Conde, It’s Showtime’s Hashtags member and a good friend of Janine, quickly came to the defense of the singer by addressing her bashers via his own Instagram account, saying: “Alam ko kahit mag-post ako hndi niyo titigilang i-bash si Janine Berdin. [Kasi] BASHERS nga kayo. Kahit konti lang sana maisip niyo kung ano bang ginawang masama nung bata sa inyo para sabihan niyo siya ng masasakit na salita?”

“Ako i-bash nyo kung gusto niyo, hindi ‘yung inosenteng bata na nagpapatuloy lang sa pag-abot niya ng mga pangarap niya!” he added.

The entry was later re-posted by Janine on her respective account, extending her appreciation and gratitude to Luke by replying with: “I love you”.

Aside from Luke, the 17-year-old hitmaker also thanked her friends and supporters for linking her with words of encouragement, citing: “Thank you to everyone who took the time to message me. Thank you sa encouragement and sa love na pina-feel and and pinapa-feel niyo.”

“I know I could’ve turned the other cheek, but people to know how it isn’t normal and ok to tell other people foul things online just because they can. It’s not normal. It’s not ok. It’ll never be normal nor it will never be OK,” she added.