05/07/2025
🎤 Eden Santos: The Woman Asking the Questions No One Else Dares To
In a time when silence can be safe and conformity comfortable, one journalist is choosing neither. Eden Santos of NET25 has become a striking figure in Philippine media—not because she plays by the rules, but because she dares to question them.
Whether you see her as a fearless truth-seeker or a disruptor of protocol, one thing is certain: she’s asking the questions many Filipinos are dying to ask.
📰 From Breakfast Show Host to Palace Beat Firebrand
Before she was making government officials sweat at press briefings, Eden co-hosted the morning news-talk program Pambansang Almusal. Her calm yet engaging presence helped NET25 carve out its space in national conversation. But as the years passed, so did her roles—and with them, her tone.
Now, she's at the center of power—the Malacañang Press Corps—and she’s not settling for rehearsed answers or flowery statements.
📅 Timeline of Standout Moments
Here’s a look at her rise and the moments that made her impossible to ignore:
🔹 May 30, 2022 – Exclusive Marcos Interview
Santos was one of only three journalists invited for a private sit-down with then-President-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr. She grilled him on his ₱20/kg rice promise—a bold move that signaled the kind of journalist she intended to be: direct, unapologetic, and people-first.
🔹 2022–2024 – The Palace Years Begin
Taking her place among the Malacañang beat reporters, Eden slowly built a reputation for sharp, pointed questions. She wasn’t afraid to deviate from the script, asking about food security, missing public officials, and troll farms—topics others quietly avoided.
🔹 April 15, 2025 – Buffer Stock Showdown
In a widely shared exchange, Eden questioned the NFA Administrator about the government's rice buffer stock and who exactly was responsible for food security. The official stumbled through the response—while the public applauded her persistence.
🔹 June 25, 2025 – The “Ambush” Heard Around the Palace
While covering a ceremonial drug destruction event, Santos cornered President Marcos with an off-the-cuff question. It broke protocol—but made headlines. The PCO formally asked NET25 to pull her from the Palace beat. The public? Many rallied behind her.
🔹 July 2025 – Going Viral, Again
A video showing Usec. Claire Castro visibly irritated by Eden’s off-topic question garnered over 68,000 views. Critics called her style “tabloid,” but netizens admired her courage. One Redditor wrote:
“Sana sa Pilipinas ganito din katapang ang mga reporters.”
And perhaps that’s the point: in a landscape where caution reigns, courage becomes radical.
💡 Why She Matters
Eden Santos is not perfect. She breaks rules. She pushes buttons. She interrupts rehearsed press briefings with unscripted truths. But this is exactly what makes her matter.
Her brand of journalism asks something from all of us—not just officials:
What kind of media do we really want?
Do we prefer politeness over clarity?
And in an age of algorithms, are we still brave enough to demand truth—even when it's messy?
👏 Journalism With a Spine
In a democracy, journalism is meant to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. Eden Santos seems to have taken that to heart.
Her story isn’t just about being a Palace reporter—it’s about having the nerve to stand, mic in hand, and ask questions when everyone else just nods.
Love her or not, we need more Edens.
Not to shout, but to speak.
Not to provoke, but to probe.
And not to go viral, but to keep the powerful accountable.
