One last push: Alex Calleja appeals for votes for world's funniest title

MANILA – Filipino comedian Alex Calleja on Friday appealed to Pinoys all over the world to support his bid to win Laugh Factory’s “Funniest Person in the World” contest by voting for him online.

With the 24-hour online voting already activated, Calleja is hoping more kababayans will help him by voting via votealexcalleja.com.

• READ: Pinoy comedian Alex Calleja delivers final number for 'Funniest Person' title

There are three ways to help him gain more points, he said. Once logged on to the site, clicking the video gives him a point, and liking and sharing it gives him 2 more points.

“Pagpasok nyo sa video ko, i-play lang niyo yung video ko, puntos na po yun. Tapos may puso po sa ilalim, ibig sabihin nun “Like”. Pag ni-Like nyo, another point po yun, at pag shinare, another point yun,” he said.

TOE-TO-TOE WITH MALAYSIA

Hours after the voting began, Calleja had around 46,361 votes, as of Friday afternoon. His closest rival is Harith Iskander, the bet from Malaysia who had 46,207 votes online as of Friday afternoon.

“Pasok po sa Top 5 and ongoing ang 24-hour online voting. Kakasimula pa lang po, kasalukuyang nakikipaglaban ako sa Malaysia...nagpapalitan kami ng 1 and 2 (place). Malakas ang Malaysia,” he said.

The Malaysian contestant, whom he described as “moneyed” and with a “machinery,” arrived in Finland with an entourage.

“Pumunta ako dito kasama ko ang asawa ko. Yung Malaysia, pumunta dito may grupo. Mayaman kasi yung kalaban ko, isang producer, may staff at entourage kaya matindi ang labanan,” he said.

But this isn't stopping the Philippines' funnyman from remaining optimistic that his kababayans will rally behind him and deliver the needed votes.

“Sa kababayan ko na po nakasalalay,” he said. “Ang isang tao, pwedeng bumoto ng ilang beses.”

He disclosed that Filipinos in Finland have shown their support by watching him perform.

“Nagpuntahan po mga Pinoy doon kahit yung iba na may mga trabaho. Isang table kami against 1/3 na Malaysian. Pero lumaban po tayo. Napatawa naman. Sa-sampu lang kami, ang lakas ng sigaw ng mga Pinoy, he said.

If Calleja wins the competition, he will bring home a total cash prize of $100,000 or around P5 million.

“Pero kahit ano po mangyari, basta na represent nating yung Pinoy, na expose po tayo sa stage na kaya nating magpatawa,” he said.

The other comedians who made it Top 5 are performers from India, Greece and Israel.