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The internet has a bone to pick with Toni Gonzaga after her Bongbong Marcos interview

By AYIE LICSI Published Sep 15, 2021 11:34 am

A mix of outrage and support broke out on social media after Toni Gonzaga released an interview with Bongbong Marcos on the "greatest lessons" he learned from his father.

The interview, posted on Gonzaga's YouTube channel, was put up in time for Marcos' birthday on Sept. 13 and a few days before the 49th anniversary of Ferdinand Marcos' declaration of martial law in the Philippines.

Some Filipinos expressed online how the exchange swept under the rug the atrocities and injustices under the dictatorship, as the actress only asked softball questions about the former president's legacy. Others also noted how the video is an instrument of historical revisionism and how questions were framed to humanize and change the people's perceptions of the dictator.

Artist Tarantadong Kalbo posted an illustration on Twitter, captioned with "Elephant in the room," which illustrated how the interview failed to have Marcos address and acknowledge the human rights violations and victims of his father's martial law.

Meanwhile, other users argued that Gonzaga is neutral and objective, mentioning how she also previously interviewed Atty. Chel Diokno—whose father was imprisoned during martial law—and Vice President Leni Robredo on her YouTube channel.

Meanwhile, other users argued that for Gonzaga to be truly neutral, she should also sit down with martial law victims in her vlogs. They also cited the TV host's connection to BBM and how he was a godfather at her and Paul Soriano's wedding.

The Bongbong Marcos interview now has over 1.1 million views on YouTube and is the eighth top trending video on the platform.