Actor Albie Casiño believes that as a taxpayer, he has the right to voice out his opinions on issues involving public service.

For one, Casiño has been vocal about his dismay over the government’s response to the COVID-19 surge.

“I can only answer for myself. For me, I pay taxes,” he pointed out during the online press conference on April 15 for his new teleserye “Init Sa Magdamag.” “Wala pang dumarating na tseke ko nakikita ko na kung ano ‘yung mga kaltas, ‘di ba?” (Even when my check has not arrived yet, I already know how much would be deducted.)

“So, I feel like I have a right to voice my opinion. That’s where my taxes go,” Casiño said. “Nakikita ko kung magkano ang tax ko and nakikita ko ‘yung response sa COVID, eh. So, sino ang hindi magagalit, ‘di ba?” (I see the amount of the taxes I pay and I see the response to COVID-19. So, who will not be angry, right?)

But while he is expressive of his opinions on issues, Casiño said he’s not really “mad at the government.”

“I’m just mad at how they’re handling things,” he said.

Although there is a surge in the numbers of those afflicted with COVID-19, Casiño is glad that no one during their lock-in tapings got the dreaded disease.

“Nakailang project na ako ngayong quarantine. Itong ‘Init Sa Magdamag’ ‘yung pinakamalaking production na nagawa ko, eh. The others were films so mas maliit ‘yung production, mas konti ‘yung cast,” he noted.

(I already had some projects during this quarantine. “Init Sa Magdamag” is the biggest production I ever did. The others were films so the production is smaller, there’s fewer cast.)

The actor has been doing lock-in tapings for about six months. He attests to the effort done by the production people to ensure the safety not only of the actors but of all those in the set. He marvels at how there were so many of them but no one got COVID.

albie casiño ig — Albie Casiño. Image: Instagram/@thestallion09

Casiño also shared how safety protocols were done on set. He said a nurse would really knock on your door if you got no taping.

“They do the protocol, they check, get your temperature and make you sign the paper,” he said.

Casiño plays Raymond Choi, best friend of Rita who is played by Yam Concepcion in “Init Sa Magdamag.” It had its pilot episode on April 17 on the iWantTFC app and website, and on WeTV iflix. It airs on free TV today, April 19, via TV5 and A2Z channels, and via digital TV box ABS-CBN TVplus. Digital TV box users can scan and look for A2Z channel in Metro Manila and in some parts of Cavite, Laguna, Quezon, Rizal, Bataan, Batangas, Bulacan and Pampanga. JB

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