MANILA, Philippines — How can President Rodrigo Duterte’s avid supporter and blogger Sass Rogando Sasot become British Broadcasting Corp. (BBC)’s next interviewee?
Actress Agot Isidro and fellow blogger Jover Laurio have this common unsolicited advice to Sasot: No need to do anything to get noticed. They will look for you if they want to interview you.
“Sweetie, last year BBC tried to get in touch with me for an interview, too. If they want to talk to you, they will find you,” Isidto said in her Twitter account.
Sweetie, last year BBC tried to get in touch with me for an interview, too. If they want to talk to you, they will find you. Do the math.
— Agot Isidro (@agot_isidro) November 13, 2017
Also, Laurio said BBC just contacted her via her Twitter account before the international media organization sent her a direct message.
The Pinoy Ako Blog publisher also denied claims by pro-Duterte bloggers that she was noticed by the BBC because influential groups from the “Yellowtards” backed her and coordinated with BBC for her interview.
This is how BBC contacted me. First tweet muna, then DM. No big groups behind the interview. pic.twitter.com/dqCqmyEcIY
— PinoyAkoBlog (@PinoyAkoBlog) November 13, 2017
Last Monday, amid the Asean Summit, Sasot confronted BBC Southeast Asia correspondent Jonathan Head at the International Media Center in Pasay City over BBC’s feature on “very minor blogger” Laurio.
“Tell me, Mr. Jonathan, how is it possible that Jover Laurio, a very minor blogger in the Philippines, was featured by the BBC in order to defend herself against the people who outed her identity, but not someone like me whose social media following is way, way higher than her, whose Facebook engagement is way, way higher than her, and who you have even interacted on Facebook?” Sasot asked.
“I know that in order for you to be interviewed by a big platform like BBC, you should have been given access. It’s either that you were really, really famous, that you are a decision-maker of a country, you are a celebrity, and you’re gonna be given this platform. But Jover Laurio is none of that. The only link to that is that she is being protected, sponsored, financed probably by the Liberal Party of the Philippines,” Sasot added.
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