MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) – They were both interviewed on BBC’s Hardtalk by host Stephen Sackur.  Now, they’re accusing Sackur of being a paid troll for Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.

Ousted Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno and Senator Antonio Trillanes both said that they regret agreeing to appear before Sackur’s show.

Sackur all but embarrassed both Filipinos and pummelled them with hard-hitting questions that they couldn’t answer to the host’s satisfaction. 

In both instances, Sackur pointed that that Duterte’s overwhelming approval and satisfaction rate is considered extraordinary even in democratic countries in the West.

Trillanes and Sereno had hoped that being featured on a popular television program such as Hardtalk would be their ticket to instant international fame and bring their anti-Duterte stance to international spotlight. Instead, both political figures crumbled before the eyes of the world.