LAGUNA, Philippines — Sorsogon Governor Chiz Escudero came to the defense of actress and TV host Toni Gonzaga after receiving criticism for interviewing her wedding godfather, former Senator Bongbong Marcos.
In a tweet on Friday, Escudero said Gonzaga has the “freedom and right to interview whomsoever she may want to in her platforms”, even ending his Twitter post with a hashtag: #mychannelmyright.
“Whether or not you agree with the interviewee or her is totally up to you because you too have the freedom and right to watch or not to watch or like or dislike,” the governor said.
In a September 13 episode of Toni Talks Youtube channel titled “The Greatest Lesson Bongbong Marcos Learned From His Father,” Gonzaga discussed with Marcos his life and the lessons he has learned from his late father, former president and dictator Ferdinand Marcos.
The interview has been met with huge online backlash with critics lambasting the Kapamilya TV host for supposedly contributing to the Marcos family’s attempts to revise history and whitewash their human-rights violations.
The Ateneo de Manila University’s Martial Law Museum urged Gonzaga to also speak with the “victims and surviving families of the Martial Law regime.”