The Taberna Group of Companies, led by seasoned broadcaster Anthony “Ka Tunying” Taberna, his wife Rossel, and their family, held a warm and intimate thanksgiving merienda to celebrate a year of blessings across their businesses. It was a moment of gratitude, fellowship, and quiet triumph—an occasion meant to honor the community that has supported their ventures. Yet it also became an opportunity for the veteran journalist to address some of the most controversial issues that have hounded him in recent months.

A Viral Satire and an Unexpected Storm

During the gathering, Ka Tunying candidly spoke about the controversy sparked by actress Pinky Amador, who last October shot a satire video inside one of Ka Tunying’s Café branches. In the clip, filmed at the height of a heated national discussion on alleged budget insertions by several senators, Pinky jokingly announced she was entering the café to “buy fake news”—a jab at Taberna after he discussed the matter on his DZRH program Dos Por Dos with Gerry Baja.

Her gesture, punctuated by a playful peace sign, quickly went viral.

Taberna responded at the time with humor, but also a firm reminder of what he stands for. “Ma’am Pinky Amador, wala pong fake news sa amin. Pero try n’yo po ang MALUTONG na MURA pa na rice crackers,” he quipped, a line that earned both laughs and debate online.

“Naiinis ako… natatawa rin ako”

Asked during the thanksgiving event how he truly felt about Pinky’s dig, the broadcaster admitted he had mixed emotions.

“Actually, sa isang banda, naiinis ako, sa isang banda, natatawa rin ako,” he said. “Kasi sinasabi nila na fake news pero hindi naman nila masabi kung ano ‘yong fake news na sinabi ko.”

He clarified once again that the issue stemmed from an episode of Dos Por Dos, where he and his co-host mentioned several senators—among them Senator Risa Hontiveros—who were allegedly linked to budget insertions based on documents they had obtained. But Taberna stressed that Hontiveros’ camp took the segment out of context.

“Kaya lang itong mga grupo ni Risa Hontiveros, naging selective lang ‘yong pakikinig nila, akala nila ay sini-single out namin si Risa, which is not true,” he explained.

He added that Senator Hontiveros’ online post—where she denied having bicameral insertions and warned the public against “fake news”—stung on a personal level.

“Medyo nasaktan naman ako ro’n. Hindi lang naman siya ang may pangalan, may pangalan din naman kami na pinangangalagaan.”

When the Issue Became Personal

What disturbed Taberna the most, however, was when the controversy spilled over to his children, particularly his eldest daughter, Zoey.

According to him, some supporters of Senator Hontiveros and Pinky Amador went to Zoey’s social-media pages and left malicious comments, with some wishing for her cancer to return.

“Yung ibang followers nila… pinuntahan yung social media ng aking anak na si Zoey. Alam mo ang sinasabi nila? Dapat daw bumalik yung cancer ni Zoey at mamatay na raw sana si Zoey,” he recounted, visibly pained. “That’s foul, di ba?”

He added that true leadership would have meant stopping such behavior.

“Sabi ko, kung si Risa Hontiveros ay talagang righteous na tao, dapat inawat niya yung mga kasama niya… ‘Mag-away tayo sa isyu, huwag ninyong idamay yung mga bata.’”

Rossel Taberna: Turning Controversy Into Opportunity

Despite the tension the satire video created, Rossel Taberna revealed she carried no ill will. In fact, she expressed unexpected gratitude.

With a smile, she said, “Hindi po ako nagko-comment dahil alam ko, unang-una sa lahat, hindi totoo. Pero nagpapasalamat po ako kay Pinky.”

She shared that the viral post brought a surge of customers to their branches.

“Maraming salamat po Miss Pinky dahil po sa inyong nag-viral na post, mas dumami po yung tumangkilik sa Ka Tunying’s at mahaba po ang pila sa kiosk or branch na pinuntahan ninyo.”

Moving Forward With Gratitude

What was meant to be a simple thanksgiving gathering became a portrait of a family navigating public storms with a mix of candor, humor, resilience, and faith. For the Tabernas, the past year has been marked by trials, victories, misunderstandings, and unexpected silver linings.

And as they thanked the community for their continued support, one thing became clear: Ka Tunying’s story—both as a journalist and an entrepreneur—is far from over. The conversations may be difficult, the criticisms sharp, but the voice behind them remains steady.

Strong-willed, unafraid, and always ready to clarify: “Wala pong fake news sa amin.”