‘I don’t categorize the people I interview’: Gonzaga says her interviewees all have stories to tell

Toni Gonzaga has not directly made a comment about the social media outrage that her controversial interview with former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has caused, but an earlier interview of Gonzaga this year may help explain why the actress sought out the controversial politician.

In an interview posted on YouTube in July 2021, Gonzaga was asked by vlogger Will Dasovich whether she interviews politicians.

"This is where I stand—I don't categorize the people I interview," Gonzaga answered. "I look at all of them as people with stories to share no matter how bad a person is, no matter how good a person is, no matter how cancelled a person is by the society. Every single person on this planet has a powerful story to tell. And no matter how bad their story is, we can always learn from that person. So I don't want to categorize, I don't want to interview politicians, I don't want to interview managers, I'm not gonna interview these celebrities. I'm just open to talking to people with powerful life stories."

After Dasovich replied, "They are human beings," Gonzaga agreed and repeated emphatically, "They are human beings."

For Gonzaga, categorizing the individuals she engages in conversations with constitutes betrayal to herself. “When we decide on something, we always ask other people’s opinions when we already know in our hearts what we want. You already know in your heart but you need validation,” she said, adding that we should be the ones deciding for our lives simply because we all have our own. “At the end of the day, who will get the consequence? You. You will deal with all of the consequences.”