A self-described critic of Vice President Leni Robredo, newspaper columnist Antonio Contreras, praised her "courage" in agreeing to be interviewed by him.
Contreras quizzed the presidential candidate on many issues, including her chief rival, former senator Bongbong Marcos and the tensions in Ukraine, wherein Robredo's response on the exact number of Filipinos in the former Soviet republic went viral.
"While BBM boycotted Jessica Soho because of her alleged bias against him, Leni Robredo eventually confirmed her participation in DZRH-Manila Times Presidential Job Interview despite my being there, who is known to be her critic," he said on Facebook.
"That is what I call courage. Saludo to Leni Robredo."
Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. will also not attend Friday's presidential forum hosted by the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas due to scheduling conflicts, according to his office.
Contreras, a retired political science professor from De La Salle University, said he would give Robredo a grade of 1.75, equivalent to 3.0 or "very good" in DLSU.
READ: Robredo Answers Hard Questions on Marcos, Ukraine, 'Street Fighter' Memes
Contreras said that during a break from the interview, he and Robredo exchanged pleasantries and talked in their native language Bicolano.
"In politics, contentious disagreements occur. But on these occasions, I am a professional, a political science professor moonlighting in broadcast media. And beyond the criticisms and disagreements always lie our respect not only for each other, but for the country," he said.
"We should not allow our politics to divide us to a point that we forget our humanity."
READ MORE:
Are Journalists Biased for Asking Candidates Hard Questions?
What is Libel and Why is it Dangerous for Press Freedom?
Voice of Voters or Trolls? Election Surveys on Social Media, Explained
Reportr is now on Quento. Download the app or visit the Quento website for more articles and videos from Reportr and your favorite websites.
