Julia Barretto is preparing legal action against a person who accused her of ordering the temporary closure of Mantigue Island in Camiguin for her vlog shoot. Barretto denied his involvement in the closure of the area and clarified that it was a decision of the local government. According to Barretto, he visited the island from March 1 to 3 for a tourism project that aims to showcase the culture, history, and natural beauty of Camiguin.
According to Barretto, someone accused him of ordering the closure of the island and called him "entitled" and "selfish." Barretto stressed that he had nothing to do with the closure decision and that all coordination was under the local government. He also said that he was only informed that some parts of the island would be temporarily closed to ensure their tourism project was in order.
Although Barretto usually does not address such issues, he did not let the false accusation pass because it presents false information about his personality, work, and the purpose of his travel series Juju On The Go. Barretto also mentioned that he is currently seeking legal advice due to the spread of a manipulated TikTok video with fake audio that misrepresents him.
The issue began with a March 7 post by a social media user who released a screenshot of Barretto's photos in Camiguin. In the caption, the user criticized the local government and Barretto's production team for closing Mantigue Island. Although the LGU said it would open at 12:00 p.m., it reportedly lasted until 1:00 p.m., causing inconvenience to tourists.
Meanwhile, the Camiguin Tourism Office clarified that they invited Barretto as part of their tourism promotion efforts and that the closure of the island was announced to the public on February 28, 2025. Despite this, the accuser still expressed disappointment over the alleged delay in their trip. As of now, the social media user has not made any new statements regarding the possible filing of charges by Barretto against him.
