The internet took swings at former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., son of convicted Martial Law strongman Ferdinand Marcos, who was officially a no-show at multi-awarded journalist Jessica Soho’s Presidential Interviews special which airs tonight on GMA News.
READ: So what was so bad about martial law?
The GMA News and Public Affairs division is under GMA-7, the network with the widest reach in the Philippines after the Duterte administration shut down the country’s largest broadcaster ABS-CBN in 2020.
The hashtag #MarcosDuwag (#MarcosCoward) topped Twitter trends as election drama unfolded towards the end of the week. After Marcos confirmed he was skipping Soho’s interviews — the only presidential bet in the upcoming May polls to do so —, screencaps of an alleged “troll farm manager” surfaced online, who tweeted alleged instructions to defend Marcos Jr.’s absence at the interviews before deleting said tweet, further fueling the flames of Twitter dissent.
Guard! Guardddd! Natweet niya ang instructions sa troll farm.
— PinoyAkoBlog (@PinoyAkoBlog) January 21, 2022
😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/Y2FAYUnECq
This was followed by news reports that Twitter had suspended over 300 pro-Marcos accounts, citing violation of its policies against platform manipulation and spam, and also came days after news website Rappler released a report on Twitter handles promoting Marcos Jr.
After two days of silence, Marcos’ camp today released an official statement explaining his decision to skip the interview by Soho — one of the country’s most respected broadcasters — and cited the journalist’s supposed bias against the Marcos family, whose members have been tried and convicted of corruption and graft-related cases in local and international courts.
Obviously a reputational attack to media. They would rather prefer to be “asked” by their mouthpieces instead so their narratives remain aligned and amplified. Media isn’t the enemy. Media is here to ask questions based on facts, then we let our audience decide. pic.twitter.com/0huKwbAi2y
— Jules Guiang (@julesguiang) January 22, 2022
“The reason why Bongbong Marcos decided not to join the Jessica Soho show is founded on our belief that the hostess of the said popular talk show is biased against the Marcoses, and therefore, we believe her questions will just focus on the negativity about (Marcos) which the UniTeam dislike,” Marcos Jr.’s spokesperson Vic Rodriguez said in a statement, referring to the tandem of Marcos and Duterte’s daughter, Sara, his running mate in the 2022 polls.
“(The UniTeam) will not subscribe as it hopes the discourse must focus on how the aspiring presidents will solve our country’s lingering problems caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and what their plans are for our country to roll up from economic stagnation.”
This was met by anger online, fueling the rise of the #MarcosDuwag hashtag.
Twitter users took the opportunity to shade the candidate on his guesting on actress and host Toni Gonzaga’s YouTube vlog.
READ: The internet is fuming at Toni Gonzaga’s interview with Bongbong Marcos
Bongbong Marcos Jr. be like:
— 3dx2yrs#letlenilead💗 (@vrncrstbl23) January 21, 2022
On Toni Talks On Jessica Sojo
Presidential
Interview #MarcosDuwag pic.twitter.com/HkgVDpIC5H
He would prepare to be interviewed by Toni Gonzaga rather than a celebrated journalist like Jessica Soho. https://t.co/JpYgzSXAoR
— Scott Martin (@scottmarrtin) January 22, 2022
He would talk to Toni Gonzaga, but not Jessica Soho. Says a lot.
— Prinz Magtulis 프린즈 (@prinzmagtulis) January 21, 2022
marcos, a simple interview will not hurt you. how can you handle the president position in our country when you are afraid to take this simple interview? the way you accepted toni gonzaga and not jessica soho says it all.#MarcosDuwag
— caleb (@i2cale) January 22, 2022
READ: Is Toni Gonzaga becoming the Boy Abunda of presidentiables?
Others poked fun at the candidate, accusing him of being afraid to be interviewed by Soho, and revived an old video of him bungling an old interview with the journalist when he was elected senator.
Nawwwwt this interview made him fear Jessica Soho FOR LIFE HAHAHAHA 😭😭😭 https://t.co/q7s86B4qBt
— Ash Presto 💜 (@sosyolohija) January 22, 2022
FEARdinand Marcos, Jr. #MarcosDuwag #BoBongMarcos pic.twitter.com/QzNe8ZWhVd
— JR Santiago (@oslecjunior) January 22, 2022
“will just focus on negativity about BBM…”
— Jason Singson (@jeisamsoon) January 22, 2022
so you agree? that there are negative things about LBM #MarcosDuwag https://t.co/6yOxFj3ogE pic.twitter.com/044IM0L3aO
Artist and comedian Jun Sabayton, who satirized Marcos Jr.’s ad in a viral video, also joined in on the fun.
Even fellow presidential candidate and senator Ping Lacson couldn’t help but take a swing, adding that Soho had asked him difficult interview questions throughout his political career and said that Soho was merely doing her job, “just like any other journalist.”
Jessica Soho, biased? I was asked very hostile questions like my role during martial law, why I evaded arrest in 2010, my co-authorhip and sponsorship of the Anti-Terror Law, human rights issues and other hard questions. I don’t think so. Like any journalist, trabaho niya yun.
— PING LACSON (@iampinglacson) January 22, 2022
Amid the online fanfare, a supposed diary entry by Ferdinand Marcos Sr. surfaced, where the former president called his son “too carefree and lazy.”
Marcos Sr wrote this in his own diary about his son…
— Jamela Alindogan (@jamelaaisha) January 22, 2022
“Bongbong is our principal worry- ‘ he is too carefree and lazy” pic.twitter.com/oWBf0xQ7EC
Meanwhile, sociologist Ash Presto surmised that Marcos Jr.’s no-show at the Soho interviews could undermine Marcos’ machinery.
Very interesting to see how Jessica Soho will respond (if at all) to DiktaJr’s allegation of bias. With journalism awards & a highly mainstream platform at her disposal, she can actually put a dent in the Marcoses’ disinformation machinery. Have I mentioned she’s also an Ilocana?
— Ash Presto 💜 (@sosyolohija) January 22, 2022
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