Actress-television host Mariel Padilla took to Instagram to show her excitement for her good friend Toni Gonzaga-Soriano who will sing the Philippine national anthem at the inaugural of Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Romualdez Marcos Jr. who will take his oath as the 17th President of the Philippines today, June 30, at 12 noon.
"Soooo excited for you!!! Tomorrow (June 30) is your victory as well!!! Proud of you, my friend @celestinegonzaga. Literal na nag-iisa ka," wrote Mariel on Instagram Story on June 29.
Mariel, the wife of Senator Robin Padilla, also shared a photo of Toni during the rehearsals for the inaugural.
Toni and her husband Paul Soriano actively campaigned for Marcos and Sara Duterte during the 2022 national elections.
Marcos cited the bravery of Toni who was widely criticized when she campaigned for him.
Bongbong described Toni as “badass and elegant.”
“Siya (Toni Gonzaga) ang nagsimula ng kampanyang ito. I never imagined that this elegant lady can withstand all the criticisms. Sabi ko nga Paul, ‘yung asawa mo is badass,” said Bongbong.
In September 2021, Toni created a stir when she interviewed Bongbong Marcos for her vlog “Toni Talks.” So far, the interview has been viewed more than 15 million times.
Toni is also close to the Marcoses because Bongbong is her wedding godfather.
In February, Toni hogged headlines anew when she became the master of ceremonies for the proclamation rally of Bongbong and running mate Sara Duterte.
Toni trended on social media as she received mixed reactions from netIzens.
Later, she stepped down as host of the popular reality program “Pinoy Big Brother” on ABS-CBN.
Despite negative reactions, Toni remained silent about the issue. Her family and close friends rallied behind her during her personal crisis.
In the campaign sorties, Toni always reminded supporters of UniTeam to ignore critics and stay humble.
Toni continued: “Alam n’yo, kaya po katulad ni BBM, hindi na po natin dapat na pinapatulan ‘yung mga ganyang bagay dahil kung alam ninyo ang katotohanan, hinding hindi kayo kayang sirain ng kasinungalingan!
“Kaya po sa lahat ng nangaaway sa inyo, pinipintasan kayo, kinukutya kayo, katulad ni BBM, huwag na po tayong lumaban. Patuloy po tayong magpakumbaba dahil katulad ni BBM, laging nagpapakumbaba, kaya naman si BBM, lalong tumataas!” ended Toni.