After 'laugh out loud' incident, Gretchen Barretto and friends decide to stop giving IG grants

On Instagram Live Tuesday evening, Gretchen Barretto and her friends announced that they will stop giving grants, after getting embroiled in the now-viral 'laugh out loud' incident.

She explained it was because many have already been affected by the incident including her friends, who are private citizens.

"Yes, we are going to bid goodbye not because we are a coward [sic] not because we are gonna back down but because marami po ang mga tao na nadadamay rito," she said.

"Right now the reason why I choose to stop... the granting and all is because nahihiya po ako sa pamilya po ni Mimi Que, kay Don Mariano [Que], and their children whom I consider my children, and Don Mariano who has been very decent and generous. Nahihiya ako and sa yo Mimi, kasi pribado kang tao. I know how you value your privacy and Patty Pineda also...I feel like responsibilidad ko po to," she said.

Gretchen said even Jo-Ann Mula, whose letter they were reading when the laughing incident happened, is being bashed. 

"Jo-Ann Mula is intelligent enough to know that we did not mock her and she understood...in-accept niya ang apology natin. In fact, she said 'di na kailangan mag-apologize or anything like that. Madaming nagagalit sa kanya...ang daming nagba-bash sa kanya. Ang dami pong nadawit dito sa mga nangyari. Kung ako lang po, kaya ko," Gretchen said.

On June 6, the three friends went on an IG Live video to continue their IG charitable exercise that they started on Easter Sunday, April 1.

Jo-Ann Mula's long-winded letter left them confused, which started the laughing fit. The three friends quickly apologized to Jo-Ann, who accepted it.

The video was then uploaded on Facebook, which quickly turned viral. Many thought the three friends were being grammar nazis, laughing at the wrong grammar while others thought they were being mean-spirited laughing at others' misery.

On Saturday, Gretchen and her friends went on another IG Live video where they clarified the issue and offered a public apology.

Despite everything that has transpired with the incident, Gretchen said she is still grateful for the brief two months they had to be able to help her followers who are in need.

"We are grateful that our IG followers gave us a chance to be able to be a blessing to them, to be of help. Believe it or not po, you also made us very happy. We also felt a lot of joy. Kung ano po 'yung kaligayahan na naramdaman niyo, ten times po namingnaramdaman 'yun." — Jannielyn Ann Bigtas/LA, GMA News