Press Release
January 24, 2022

Dispatch from Crame No. 1211:
Sen. Leila M. de Lima on Jessica Soho's Presidential Interviews

1/24/22

The Jessica Soho Presidential Interview was real journalism at its best!

It elevated the level of discourse on national issues to professional ground, away from personalities and down to the urgent issues and core substance. It set the tone and raised the standards of presidential interviews to new heights that will benefit all of us.

Kudos to Ms. Jessica Soho for asking sharp and pointed questions and handling the entire interview with gravitas and fairness. They have covered such a diverse range of crucial national issues that can enlighten the voters on why we need to elect a competent, sincere and principled president come May 9.

I implore our friends in the media to continue to be as diligent, sharp and objective.

It is the duty of the fourth estate to test the candidates to expose their characters and thereby guide our voters. They are doing our country a great disservice if they allow themselves to be used as propagandists and enablers for unjust interests.

Exercises such as this provide a glimpse of what kind of leaders these candidates will be.

A weak presidential candidate can't stand this type of gut-wrenching and unbiased interview, because unaided and without trolls, televised interviews and debates can expose the incompetent, the unprincipled, and the chronic liar. Kung simpleng pagpapa-interview lang sa media, kinakatakutan na, paano pa nila ipaglalaban ang ating bayan sa harap ng mga makakapangyarihang lider ng ibang bansa?

With more of this type of presidential interviews, we can counter fake news and disinformation and demolish the fake news makers. Makikita rin kung alin sa mga kandidato ang puro hangin, walang sustansya at nagbabalat-kayo lamang na sila ay nagpapahalaga sa Bayan, at kung sino naman ang mula umpisa ay tunay na pinipili na lagi ang interes ng Bayan.

I congratulate VP Leni for her sterling performance in that interview. I so admire how she thrives even more under pressure and in high-tension situations. Her voice is so full of conviction, sincerity and eloquence. She truly inspires confidence and trust.

Hindi lamang niya sinagot ang mga pragmatic questions on governance, kundi pati leadership values na dapat maibalik sa gobyerno at ang tunay na depinisyon ng katapangan bilang isang tao at isang pinuno.

Her governance vision and leadership compass are clear and well-defined in this interview. Patunay lamang sa malalim at malawak na niyang karanasan mula sa komunidad at bilang Pangalawang Pangulo ng bansa na humaharap sa iba't ibang domestic and foreign concerns at sa kasalukuyang krisis sa pandemya at ekonomiya.

Nakakapanlumo man ang problema ngayon, naiangat niya ang ating kumpiyansa at tiwala na kakayanin natin ito at nabigyan tayo ng solusyong mapanghahawakan natin. Bravo, VP Leni!

Sa huli, taumbayan ang nanalo sa pinaka-unang presidential interview na ito! ###

(Access the handwritten version, here: https://issuu.com/senatorleilam.delima/docs/dispatch_1211)

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