No, Edu is never the ‘weakest link’

"Sino ang kumukupit ng lechon para kainin sa susunod na araw?"

"At habang piniprito niya ito, hahaluan niya ng patis at calamansi!"

"Iwanan na lang sa kusina ang mayroong kakaibang panlasa!"

I do believe in fate – being in the right place at the right time, and in my case, having the right job. This is how I unexpectedly found myself in a situation I previously promised myself I wouldn’t be caught dead in.

Being the head writer of Who Wants to be a Millionaire? from its beginning, my entrance to The Weakest Link was like coming on board in mid-sea. I was informed barely 24 hours before the next taping day if I could join them. Having no time to think of the consequences, I agreed in an instant. It looked like I just signed my own suicide note! Churning out 150 questions per episode in a three-episode taping day was not an enviable job even with the help of my "indispensable" angels Tisha and Gay. But someone’s got to do it.

Unlike my story with Christopher de Leon, I had no time to know Edu Manzano before taping. There have been numerous occasions in the past wherein we have crossed paths, but they were never enough to establish any sort of connection. So the pressure to live up to his expectations given his background suddenly made me think, "What am I doing here?" But after the first taping, I felt I wanted to stay.

The wit and style of Edu Manzano is unlike anyone’s in the business. What we all see on TV is what he truly is. He picks up lines and retorts to them in a snap, so very much like his hosting "icon" – he is a David Letterman fan. Keeping up with his witticisms is a brain exercise, a fun one. I try to outwit him, but so far, the scoreboard still has him leading by just a few wisecracks. We have carried on useless, inane and insane conversations for long periods that have kept some staff members amazed. His memory too is sharp, except in certain lapses when he forgets where he puts his glasses or his watch!

For the most part, my job entails trying to think like him and to a certain extent, trying to be him. Being both green-blooded, fortunately, I would like to believe we are on the same wavelength with similar experiences and educational background. But no one can never be anyone, much less someone like Edu. But I think we have managed to swing that to some viewers.

But more than the obvious, it is what I see and hear away from the camera that has made me admire him even more. His own share of struggles into manhood, his deep love for his parents and his love of family set the foundation for what he is today.

Edu belittles no one and explores the essence of life by means of his chats and banters with everyone on the set. Very much like his counterpart in Who Wants to be a Millionaire?, Edu is not detached from us "mortals." He finds solace in his dressing room only to dress up or to take "uninterrupted" catnaps. He comes in unnoticed, drops to the couch, leans his head backwards, and in an instant, he is off to dreamland. Taping three episodes a day of spitfire questions and quick wit can make any workhorse stop at his tracks and give in to rest.

Lately, he has foregone eating lunch by his lonesome in his dressing room as this meal is spent in the computer room with us writers, statisticians and computer handlers. By 10 a.m., he barges into the room and asks, "Hey, what’s for lunch today?" And by no means is lunch just his meal of the day. But at any given time, you will find him munching on guava, singkamas and crackers, when he feels like being healthy.

For the unhealthy diet, he runs to me. Food is a common factor between "Doods" and I. Our comfort food – chicken asparagus sandwich and potato chips. Mind you, it can’t be french fries but potato chips! A lot of times, we talk about restos we have been to, or recipes we have made, this whilst munching on a peanut butter sandwich, a chocolate bar, or shoestring potato chips, depending on what goodies I bring for the day.

But alongside the fun, we have what I want to call our "little chats of sense." We sometimes make sense. Having had the opportunity to serve in the government plus his years in the entertainment business, he has shared some first-hand stories about life in both worlds – some good, some bad, some unbelievably sad. I have asked for his advice – whether it be on light topics like where to take a vacation or more important aspects like career decisions. What makes his advice logical is that he truly listens, unravels the two sides of the problem, and leaves me to make the decision. It is not hard to talk to Edu. He is far from being perfect, and that is what makes him easy to be with. He is honest about his shortcomings and humble to give in to authority when he knows he is at fault. But he will give you a piece of his mind when the wrong buttons are pushed. Like everyone else, he just wants what is fair – not only for his benefit but also for those he cares for.

It has been only a bit over three months since I came to know the man, but with our taping schedule, it seems like years. He has become a friend… what can I say? He once advised me, "In life, you have to do what you want and what you feel is important to your happiness. Take on a different path if you have to."

So, after grueling days of thought, very careful thought, dude, I have decided to change the course of my trek. As I say my "Goodbye" to a show that has added another entry to my C.V., friends and co-workers to my list, strength to my character, money to my pockets and an opportunity to my future, I also say a temporary "Goodbye" to the man who has drained my brain and filled my heart. Not to mention, the legacy of his leftover lechon recipe which I will forever treasure!

At the end of each taping day, as I bid him goodbye, he never misses to say, his parting line, Well, Edu, it’s my turn… "Goodbye, bro… and thank you!"

"C’mon… gimme a hug!"

Dude, remember that no statistics will ever prove that you are the Weakest Link.

Adios, amigo!