Facts First with Christian Esguerra

In this episode, New Zealand-based psychiatrist Nuelle Duterte, a niece of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, explains why she's actively campaigning for Leni Robredo in the May 2022 presidential election, and how ordinary Filipinos like her are fueling this "movement" online and on the ground.

This episode talks about the upcoming Cotabato City mayoral race, the result of which will have implications on the new Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, and the ongoing implementation of the 2014 peace agreement between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, formerly the largest Muslim rebel group in the country.

Philippine Vice President Leni Robredo daughters and supporters have embarked on a house-to-house campaign to complement the “movement” and the massive crowd in her campaign rallies. But will this be enough to beat the survey frontrunner, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.?

Journalist Christian Esguerra sits down with lawyer Andy Bautista, former chief of the Presidential Commission on Good Government who explained how Ferdinand Marcos, his family, and cronies looted public coffers during his 21-year rule. Bautista warns of the prospect of electing the son and namesake of the late dictator in this year’s Philippine presidential election.

In this episode, former Philippine senator Antonio Trillanes talks about his recent dialogue with a group of voters to better understand their support for the son of the later dictator Ferdinand Marcos, who’s running for president in May.

Jailed for 5 years on questionable drug charges, Sen. Leila de Lima is seeking a second term. Christian Esguerra spoke with her spokesperson on how difficult it has been for her to wage a nationwide campaign while in detention, including explaining why she’s a victim of political persecution, using a live proxy — and a standee.

Can candidates realistically win without so-called “line troll networks”? Christian Esguerra sat down with a veteran campaign strategist and a professor, who studied how Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter influence political discourse in the 2022 elections.

This episode is a critical, no-BS look at presidential interviews in the run-up to the Philippine elections in May 2022, because the interviewer and the questions he asks are just as crucial as the candidates' response. Journalist Christian Esguerra sits down with veteran campaign strategist Alan German.

Christian Esguerra sits down with Philippine labor leader Leody De Guzman, who details the "radical" changes he plans to implement if elected president in 2022. But does he even have a chance against more popular and moneyed candidates, including the son of the late Philippine dictator?

This episode explains the struggles of the Philippine government to recover the ill-gotten wealth of the late Philippine dictator, Ferdinand Marcos Sr., and his family. 

This episode looks into the new law prohibiting child marriages and its implications on Muslims in the predominantly Christian country. Journalist Christian Esguerra sits down with legal scholar Michael Mastura, who helped efforts to codify Philippine Muslim laws in the 1970s.

Around 200,000 residents of 63 villages in the Philippine province of North Cotabato may not be able to vote for local positions in the May 2022 elections because of a Comelec resolution. These villages are now part of the new BARMM but its interim government, led by former Moro rebels, has not reconstituted these villages into new local government units.

Why is Marcos Jr.'s campaign strategy working while Vice President Leni Robredo's doesn't seem to be as effective? Christian Esguerra sat down with veteran campaign strategist Alan German to examine the different campaign messaging of presidential candidates in the 2022 elections.

Disinformation is rampant in the upcoming Philippine elections. This episode sets the record straight about the fake story of the Tallano gold, the supposed source of the Marcos wealth and which would supposedly be distributed to Filipinos if the son of the late dictator wins the presidency in 2022. Journalist Christian Esguerra sits down with historian Michael Charleston Chua on why the story mak...

Multi-awarded screenwriter and poet Jerry Gracio explains why he organized the "Kapamilya" party-list group, and why Duterte's shutdown of the Philippines' largest media network on free TV and radio should be a major campaign issue in the 2022 elections.

In this episode, professor Walden Bello, the socialist vice presidential candidate in the Philippines, speaks with journalist Christian Esguerra about the difficult solutions he and his presidential candidate, Leody De Guzman, are offering to voters in 2022.

A former Duterte ally is coming out of retirement from politics to challenge the president's son, Sebastian Duterte, for Davao City's mayoralty in 2022. Ruy Elias Lopez, 61, a former congressman and a practicing lawyer, explains why he's standing up to the Duterte dynasty in his city.

In this episode, longtime peace and development worker Maria Victoria "Mags" Maglana talks about why she decided to run against the eldest son of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte for a congressional seat in Davao City, which the Dutertes have ruled for nearly 35 years. Maglana outlines her campaign platform and why she believes she has a good chance of beating the incumbent Duterte.

This episode looks into Sara Duterte's decision to run for VP when many were expecting her to gun for the presidency, the cracks among Duterte and Marcos supporters, and what these could mean in the 2022 Philippine elections.

Journalist Christian Esguerra sits down with 3 influential political cartoonists -- Tarantadong Kalbo, Isang Tasang Kape, and Cartoonist Zach --- on how they use their art to fight disinformation and historical distortion by supporters of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos

Journalist Christian Esguerra sits down the head of the Bangsamoro LGBTQ Network, and the human rights chief of the Bangsamoro on the plight of the LGBTQ community under the new autonomous region in the southern Philippines.

This episode looks into the campaign platform of Manila Mayor Isko Moreno, his track record, and how he compares with other candidates in the 2022 presidential election in terms of experience, competence, and track record.

In this frank conversation with Christian Esguerra, senatorial candidate Samira Gutoc explains why she felt bad about Mayor Isko Moreno's "below-the-belt" attacks on Vice President Leni Robredo, her initial choice for president, but why she will stick with Moreno in the 2022 elections.

Christian Esguerra sits down with former Senator Sonny Trillanes on how his Magdalo group will help deliver the votes for Vice President Leni Robredo, and why the Left-leaning Makabayan bloc has not supported her presidential bid, even if it was already endorsed at the end of a lengthy consultation process by the new opposition coalition they are all part of.

The largest Muslim rebel group in the Philippines is set get 3 more years to implement key reforms in the country's new Bangsamoro autonomous region, as leaders of its transition government. But lawyer Datu Michael Mastura, a former senior member of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front's peace panel, raises concerns over how the group is supposedly "alienating" other political groups and leaders, inc...