Journo Christian Esguerra brands VP Duterte slams decision, cites ‘self-censorship
Caritas Philippines executive director Fr. Tito Caluag addressed the controversy surrounding the sudden takedown of a “YSpeak 2.0” episode and the youth-oriented debate show’s shift away from free television.
In a statement posted Monday, Caluag confirmed that he personally decided to pull the show’s third episode, citing Caritas Philippines’ internal editorial guidelines and core values. He added that the decision was made after consulting with the parties involved.
Caluag also clarified that the show’s removal from ALLTV2 on May 30 was part of a strategic move to strengthen “YSpeak’s” digital presence and reach more young viewers online.
“‘YSpeak’ and ‘YSpeak 2.0’ were created to always be a safe space for the Filipino youth and will continue to strive to be such,” he said. “Yes, we want our youth to have the platform to speak the truth with courage, but also to take all things into consideration. We are primarily a civics formation and education program and hope to be as inclusive as possible.”
Public attention grew after the third episode quietly disappeared from the program’s platforms. The episode featured investigative journalist Christian Esguerra, who delivered blunt commentary on national issues.
During the episode’s “YSpeak Your Mind” segment, Esguerra was asked to describe photos of personalities he’s shown.
For Ombudsman Crispin Remulla, he said “character arc;” Palace Press Officer Claire Castro, “madaldal;” ex-senator Antonio Trillanes IV, “matapang;” Sen. Rodante Marcoleta, “Tsinador;” Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto, “promising;” Sen. Risa Hontiveros, “decent;” and Vice President Sara Duterte, “evil.”
He also questioned how senators Bato dela Rosa and Robin Padilla won the elections.
In response to the May 31 statement, Esguerra said it’s “easy to preach ‘civics’ in the comfort of an air-conditioned studio.”
“But the true test comes when things become uncomfortable and fear, whether real or imagined, sets in,” he said, adding it’s ironic that the producer did what he discussed during his guessing: “self-censorship,” which is “the worst form of censorship.”
He’s also “genuinely curious” about the organization’s “internal editorial guidelines and basic values.”
The deleted episode is available on the Internet Archive page for public viewing: https://archive.org/details/yspeak-2.0-may-23-2026.
With reports from Nikko Miguel Garcia
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