MANILA — Music icon Lea Salonga was atop the list of local Twitter trends on Tuesday, not for any performance or TV appearance, but as fans expressed support for the Broadway star following her successive posts about issues besetting the country, on top of the coronavirus pandemic.

"Dear Pilipinas, p***** ina, ang hirap mong mahalin," Salonga wrote in a Facebook post on Monday that has since gone viral.

"I hate this year. I really, really hate this year," she posted just hours prior.

Salonga's comments against the anti-terror bill, amid the ongoing debate surrounding the administration-backed measure, similarly made the rounds online.

"Criticism of one's government shouldn't be considered an expression of hatred, but one of love and a desire to see the country succeed," Salonga wrote.

"I would like to think that in a functioning democracy, this should never be anyone's fear, that their criticism would land them in jail, or worse, a corpse lying on a curb."

i stand with lea salonga and these comments from her. pic.twitter.com/KYgPs5yvAf

— mushu (@thetinymushu) June 16, 2020

Salonga, in a separate Facebook post, also talked about rape culture, in light of the controversial "advice" of a Quezon province police station for women to dress appropriately, so as to avoid sexual assault.

"Rape jokes? Not funny. And no, what a woman wears should never be a reason for her being raped. And, as has been pointed out, it really doesn't matter what a woman wears. If a rapist wants to do the deed, he will," she said.

"The onus of rape should solely be on the shoulders of the rapist. What a woman happened to be wearing is immaterial. Men, you can always do and be better. And to the adults, we need to raise better men."

These viral comments, seen by some as critical of the administration, made Salonga the target of mudslinging by online trolls, as some of her fans noticed on Tuesday.

LEA SALONGA IS NOT A DDS NOR A DILAWAN. You want receipts? Here‘s a new one. 2016 pa ‘yong issue niyo ng marcos ap*logist siya. 2020 na. She already heard us. She‘s human after all. Her views can change in time like yours.

I STAND WITH LEA SALONGA pic.twitter.com/4H5SJZTuP9

— jennifer (@feleacity) June 16, 2020

Coming to her defense, Salonga's fans launched "I stand with Lea Salonga," a declaration that within minutes became the No. 1 Philippine trend on Twitter on Tuesday afternoon.

Aside from backing the singer, they also continued circulating Salonga's stand on several issues, both past and present — an indication, they said, that Salonga's loyalty lies in the country, and not in any political color.

Who deserves all the love in the world????

I STAND WITH LEA SALONGA pic.twitter.com/gEqrTGh0SF

— Viv 🐨👑 (@vien_dcln) June 16, 2020