Malacañang Defends PNoy’s Interview with Vice Ganda

When President Benigno “PNoy” Aquino appeared on comedian Vice Ganda’s show last Sunday, January 4, this garnered mixed reactions from the public. Although there were some who were amused by the president’s down-to-earth answers to the comedian’s questions, there were a lot who were disappointed by the interview.

Their disappointment is centered on how the president should have picked a ‘better’ journalist for a one-on-one interview, not someone who is ‘merely’ a talk show host and comedian. Also, the bashers are hitting on the president’s choice of shows to appear in, citing Gandang Gabi Vice as a joker’s show, not something serious that the country’s highest ranking official is expected to grace.

Some of the topics touched in the show were also borderline tabloid-y, such as the president’s relationship status and past girlfriends. There were people who thought it was disrespectful of Vice Ganda to ask the president about his thinning hairline and about his thoughts on his controversial sister, Kris Aquino.

The Malacañang Palace defended PNoy’s appearance in the show, , however, saying the president was simply aiming to share his lighter side – that he is just like any other Filipino who is facing everyday dilemmas, such as thinning hair and relationships.

According to Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda in a report on Rappler, the interview was never meant to be serious; thus, no one should expect it to be serious, especially because a comedian is the one doing the interview.

The interview achieved its purpose, he claimed, because the “people came to empathize with the president”. The spokesperson also claimed most of the online comments were positive.

Aside from the funny episodes of the interview, there were also serious ones and new tidbits of information the president might not have shared in the past.

For instance, he admitted to receiving a B+ grade from his economics teacher back in his college days at the Ateneo de Manila University. His teacher? No less than his predecessor, former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (GMA) who is often viewed as PNoy’s arch nemesis.

PNoy actually praised GMA in the interview, saying his former teacher was not a “terror” teacher but was always smiling. He also said she was “very knowledgeable and able”.

The interview did show the president’s lighter side yet many still believe he should have been interviewed by true-blue journalists, not a comedian in a clearly comedic show.

Perhaps, there was nothing wrong with such an interview. After all, even the president of the US did a stint similar to this, doing an interview for “Between Two Ferns” with Zack Galifianakis.

How about you, do you think the president should have turned down Vice Ganda’s interview?