Criticism filled social media after Toni Gonzaga featured politician Bongbong Marcos on her "Toni Talks" series on YouTube entitled "The Greatest Lesson Bongbong Marcos Learned From His Father" last September 21.
Some netizens were outraged by the actress' interview, believing it brushed over the tragedies of Martial Law. The talk comprised questions and stories on the former senator’s father, the late president Ferdinand Marcos.
Gonzaga received negative reactions and protests as some netizens viewed the interview as a deliberate attempt to contribute to historical revisionism. In contrast, others claimed she was attempting to portray the dictator as a relatable father figure.
During the interview, BBM stated that the late president was an actual leader with concrete goals for the Philippines and had a serious disposition for his job.
In response to critics and bashers, he quoted Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off" lyrics, quipping, "Haters gonna hate, right?"
Organizations such as the Ateneo Martial Law Museum responded to the incident by urging the celebrity to interview victims and surviving families of the Marcos regime. They expressed that the talk contributed to the Marcos family’s attempts to whitewash their human rights violations and its proven historical record.
In an interview on September 15, Gonzaga expressed her thoughts on criticism and said, "I've reached a point in my life where I realized that other people's perception of me is not my responsibility anymore."
"I have nothing to hide, I have nothing to defend, I have nothing to prove...I have nothing to explain to anybody because I know who I am deep inside," she added.
The interview released days before the 49th anniversary of Martial Law currently sits at 6.6 million views.
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