Toni Gonzaga displays an audacious chutzpah in interviewing Bongbong Marcos at a time when netizens of the Yellow variety thought that they own cyberspace. With the Ateneo martial law museum and Taylor Swift fans joining the fray, this becomes interesting.
A SIMPLE video interview, not even by BBC, ABS-CBN or GMA7, and shown only in a private blog on Youtube, stirs the whole Philippines and ignites the fire to keep the political pot boiling.
That is what singer-actress Toni Gonzaga accomplished in her interview with former senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. -- an indication that like it or not, Bongbong is still a force to contend with in this coming national elections.
The show was aptly titled "The Greatest Lesson Bongbong Marcos Learned from His Father," and we found it tepid and benign, but Toni Gonzaga was surprised that it created quite a ruckus in the internet, with groups of angry netizens vilifying her for even having the chutzpah to give Bongbong an interview slot in her blog.
To recall, Toni has interviewed Vice President Leonor Robredo, Manila Mayor Francisco Domagoso and other political celebrities before Bongbong, so she cannot be criticized as biased in favor of her wedding godfather (ninong sa kasal).
Personality sketch
Those of us who are not interested in Toni Gonzaga's blog, career or activities just cannot pass up the opportunity to view the interview on Youtube because the issue has been blown out of proportion -- with the Ateneo Martial Law Museum and Taylor Swifties (fans) joining the fray.
Bongbong Marcos, now 63 years old, just reminisced his early life in their home in San Juan, and later in Malacañang Palace, talking with the presidential security, tinkering things in the kitchen, playing in Malacañang Park.
Bongbong recalled that when he was 8 years old, his father ex-President Ferdinand Marcos brought him to school and gave all his classmates free ice cream because it was his birthday.
The son said that his parents, Ferdinand and First Lady Imelda, were always busy with official functions, with projects and activities that he believes were for the good of the nation. When he and Imee were studying abroad, they usually spend their vacation in Manila, yet father and mother were often unavailable for family bonding.
Son's picture of his father
The son pictured his father as compassionate but firm, given to hard work, possessed the qualities of a true leader of the nation, always studying and planning for the future of the Philippines.
President Marcos cuts a figure as history's best and smartest President of the Philippines, the one leader who pushed the nation forward in the modern world. While this is true, as Bongbong himself attests personally, critics immediately pointed out the abuses and excesses of Marcos' martial law administration, which happened from 1972 to 1986.We cannot deny that some of these incidents happened.
The former senator's memory of the events of February 1986 took on a personal tone.
Toni asked: "Speaking of handling life situations and problems, when people were marching towards EDSA, how did your father handle that situation?"
Bongbong replied: "My father called me. And he said, 'We have intelligence that this is about... these people are moving and this is what they're going to do. I'm assigning you to work with the security to handle the defense of the Palace.'
"So, from that day on, that's all I was doing. From that point, that Wednesday afternoon, nakauniporme na ako, e. Because I just came out of the military that time kaya ako nilagay. 'Ikaw ang in-charge sa Palasyo.'"
Bongbong narrated that his father "reverted back to his commander mode. Wartime commander mode. Again, very calm, very measured. "He said the President affirmed thus: "I have spent my whole life defending Filipinos. I cannot hurt them now. That was it. Put your guns down. We're not shooting anymore.'"
The position of the Marcos family is that all the allegations of wrongdoing, financial scandals, hidden wealth and plunder of the nation's wealth have been dismissed by the courts, and so to them, it is annoying to continue hearing about these "lies" today, 35 years after the fall.
Ateneo Museum
While noisy yellows pilloried Bongbong, the Marcoses and Toni Gonzaga, the Jesuits in Ateneo, alma mater of Benigno "Pnoy" Aquino, cannot help but join the discussion.
The Ateneo Martial Law Museum, a digital museum housed in the School of Social Sciences of the Ateneo de Manila University said it is their mandate (from whom?) to teach the public about our history under the Marcos regime, and to take a stand against attempts to undermine our democracy through the distortion of our dark past under the Marcos regime.
They told Toni that "inviting the son of a murderous and corrupt dictator of our country to your show benefits no one and pushes back the struggle to gain justice from the atrocities committed by the Marcos regime and against historical revisionism running rampant amongst our people.
Your show has contributed to the Marcos family’s attempts to whitewash their human rights violations and its proven historical record. "The museum asked Toni to interview the victims of martial law instead.
While the essence of a University is an institution that promotes open intellectual discussion, research and accommodation of all ideas, the martial law museum negates this when it said with a closed mind: "Mr. Marcos is not and will never be 'ordinary' or 'one with the people'.
Imagine saying someone "will never be anything," well, these Jesuits may be greater than their god itself, and this statement reveals the height of their haughtiness.
Taylor Swift
The Marcos detractors are expert nitpickers, and even saw some malice in Bongbong's reference to a Taylor Swift song.
Bongbong replied to one of Toni's questions and said he was "tired of hearing lies. "He went on: "Taylor Swift was right, you know. Haters gonna hate, right? That's what they are. That's what they do, is hate."
This stoked not a few nerves in Marcos critics, bashers and haters, and the evidence is a barrage of bashing and more bashing against Bongbong and Toni on Twitter. One of the most unfair comments came from a certain Lala Rimando who accused Toni of being a prostitute for allegedly allowing herself to be used in a pro-Marcos propaganda. In her tweets, Rimando showed a very closed mind which would not accept any reason, and so it would be a waste of time to engage her in any debate.
FB Analytics
By the way, it is interesting to know how the Gonzaga interview was heard, seen and analyzed by the public. It was reported that it garnered more than 2.6 million views, which is quite a record.
Various social and regular media reported it having more negative comments than positive. But Facebook Analytics has a more scientific way of doing it. The interview was favorably accepted, both in charts Sentiment Analysis and Sentiment by Sources. Go check it yourself, reader, in FB Analytics.
These yellows, trolls and intellectuals both, can say their piece but it will not bother Bongbong or Toni anymore.#