“It was negative PR for the former senator.”
It’s unfortunate that former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declined GMA journalist Jessica Soho’s invitation to participate in her interviews of presidentiables, because it opened him to much criticism from the public, who perceived him as unwilling to address the difficult questions that need to be answered.
It also made him out to be someone prone to evasion when things get tough.
Marcos Jr. and his team’s claim of illness for not showing up sounded like a weak excuse, especially when they volte-faced and said Soho was biased toward them. It made them look even worse when after the public reacted negatively to that, they seemed to try to salvage the situation by agreeing to participate in TV presenter Boy Abunda’s set of presidentiable interviews.
Soho’s team did their background research very well and tried to be as objective as possible in their presentation. Soho has years of experience in journalism and knows the pitfalls of appearing biased – it does no one any good, neither the public nor her. The interviews were conducted well, and those present did their best – whatever they may have said, at the very least they were brave enough to show up.
Marcos’s refusal to be interviewed by Soho sends up red flags. If he becomes president, will he also pick and choose what to say to the public? How does this impact the transparency of his government? Will he conduct evasive maneuvers to get out of uncomfortable situations? Will he twist the narratives of his administration in the same manner they are attempting to revise history in relation to his father’s regime?
In terms of public relations, this was a negative event for Marcos Jr., but his supporters are trying to present the situation positively. There’s a meme where he is likened to a cheetah. Cheetahs are said to move only 90% of the time, but when they do move, they do so strategically. That’s a back-bending spin if ever I saw one.
In contrast, Vice President Leni Robredo’s supporters made memes of rice porridge (that she distributed in feeding programs) with egg – “Buti pa lugaw, may itlog.” Shot fired!
Courage is one of the many traits that a president needs to have in order to be seen as a strong leader. When Corazon Aquino was accused of hiding during a coup attempt in August 1987, she pushed back strongly and sued columnist Luis Beltran, who wrote, “The president hid under her bed while the firing was going on — perhaps the first commander-in-chief of the armed forces to have done so.”
Aquino later told reporters, “I have always been a woman of courage. I don’t want the soldiers of the republic to ever doubt for an instant that their commander-in-chief is a woman of courage that they look upon and respect.”
We need our president to be strong and brave to protect our beleaguered nation’s sovereignty and independence. We need someone who will not cower before imperialists nor give sweet deals or cushy government jobs to people they are indebted to for their win. We need someone who can use diplomacy and tact, rather than profanity, to maintain our dignity among other nations. We need a leader who will show up to the battle, every single time.
We do not need someone who cannot even answer beauty pageant-type questions. Soho’s show wasn’t even a debate! A debate would have been more difficult as it involves a wide knowledge base of current events and issues.
I encourage media to stage debates and not just interviews, so that we can discern who among the candidates have the intellect, knowledge, and compassion to help our country heal from the ills of the pandemic, extrajudicial killings, and political dynasties, to mention only a few of the challenges we are facing.
Which of the candidates has the courage to be this country’s leader?
### FB and Twitter: @DrJennyO
