Vice Ganda defends interview with PNoy

MANILA, Philippines – Vice Ganda spoke up about the interview with President Benigno Aquino III that aired early in January on Gandang Gabi Vice, saying that he is used to criticism.

In an interview with Push, Vice said: “I am so happy with the result of how the people took the interview. Majority of the people liked it. It’s like one in every one thousand lang naman ang hindi nagkagusto. ‘Yung mga KJ (killjoy) sa buhay.”

(It’s like one every one thousand will not like it , those who are KJ (kill joy) in life.)

“Tsaka hindi lang naman kay PNoy ‘yun eh, sa lahat naman ng interviews ko merong namang natutuwa at hindi natutuwa. Nagkataon lang na ‘yung sa President ‘yun kaya masyadong namagnify,” he added.

(And its not only PNoy. There are those who are happy and not happy with my interviews. It was just that it was the President i spoke with, that’s why it was magnified.)

For Vice, he believed that the interview gave the audience a chance to see who the President was beyond his duty as a public servant.

“Naging tao ‘yung President. Hindi siya naging President for one night. Naging pangkaraniwang tao na parang katulad lang din naman natin na sumasaya, humaharot, nagbibiro. ‘Yun lang naman talaga ang objective ng ‘GGV’ eh, ipakita na itinatao natin ang mga pangkaraniwang tao,” Vice said.

(The President became human. He was not President for one night. He was part of the common people who, like us, want to be happy, play around, joke around. That is the objective of GGV, to show the human side of people.)

As for his critics, Vice said: “Sila ang nabo-bother sa atin. Hindi tayo ang naba-bother sa kanila. Ang pinakamahalaga doon lahat ng ginagaawa natin ay interesado silang lahat.”

(They do not really matter. What is important to me is the interest of the people.)

In the interview, President Aquino talked about his growing up years, sister Kris, and his preference for a young girlfriend so he can still have kids. (READ: 10 random things we learned from the PNoy-Vice Ganda interview)

He also admitted that he did have a girlfriend – up until “several months ago,” and that he and TV personality Grace Lee were previously in a relationship.

The interview trended on social media and did receive good feedback for giving the President a chance to be more relatable to the public. Some critics, however, expressed disappointment with the final product, with other saying that they felt the President should have prioritized tackling other pressing issues over the interview. 

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda has also previously defended the interview, saying that it was never meant to be a serious interview, and that it showed the “lighter side” of the President. – Rappler.com