One of my favorite veteran sports scribes, Nick Giongco, wrote an open letter to boxer/vlogger Johnriel Casimero on June 12, 2026, through his opinion column in the Daily Tribune. To me, it was a point-blank wake-up call for the boxer, highlighting a behavior that Giongco clearly finds troubling.
“Your aggressive image online is something you have to address. You’ve been going live, dissing and cursing people who don’t deserve to be treated badly,” Giongco firmly wrote at the conclusion of his published piece.
Giongco’s open letter, along with the angry reactions it drew from some of Casimero’s ardent supporters, reminded me of the distinction between advising and shaming, a theme explored by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie in The Difference Between Advising and Shaming. Advising and shaming are fundamentally different, even when both involve correcting someone. Advising seeks to help, guide, and support a person toward improvement, while shaming aims to embarrass, humiliate, or belittle. The difference in intent greatly influences how the message is received. The Filipino three-time world champion and those around him would do well to understand this distinction.
Good advice respects a person's dignity and focuses on specific actions or behaviors that can be improved. It is constructive, empathetic, and encouraging, offering a clear path toward growth. Shaming, on the other hand, attacks a person's character, lacks empathy, and often leaves the individual feeling hurt, defensive, and discouraged.
What
Giongco offered was not an act of shaming or putting somebody down. It was
honest, constructive advice delivered in the hope that a gifted boxer can
become a better public figure and an even better person.
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