Ugly insults? Or a plot to embarrass a state lawmaker? That was the mystery today after playful banter about a shark photo on the Facebook page of a lobbyist devolved into ethnic jokes and a vicious, profanity laced outburst.
Lauren Zirbel, a lobbyist, posted the shark photo on her Facebook page and several friends responded with clever comments. According to a transcript of the exchanges, state Rep. Joey Manahan, (D-Sand Island, Kalihi, Kapalama), — or someone who hijacked his account — joked: “I hear they make good soup.”
State lawmakers voted this year to ban the sale and possession of shark fins and gave Chinese restaurants until next July to use any shark fins in inventory for shark-fin soup.
Tracy Okubo, another lobbyist, who is Chinese, cracked: “Just as Filipinos can joke about eating dog, us Chinese can now joke about eating shark. Lol.”
The person posting as Manahan, who is Filipino, responded that he did not take kindly to people who say Filipinos eat dogs and launched a series of profanities and insults at Okubo.
In one comment, the person posting as Manahan told Okubo, who has lupus: “I hope you die of lupus!”
Okubo posted her own profanities against Manahan. She declined to comment further today other than to say she thought Manahan’s remark about her disease was inexcusable.
An upset Manahan, who considers Okubo a friend, said he has no idea how the comments were posted under his name. He called Okubo this afternoon to explain.
“I didn’t do it,” Manahan said. “I wouldn’t say anything like that or put it in writing. I wouldn’t wish that on anybody.”
The posts appeared late last night on Facebook and were quickly deleted by the person posting as Manahan. Other people saved the comments and forwarded the thread to the Star-Advertiser.