The heart and soul of a newsmaker

So you think you know everything there is to know about President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her predecessors?

Think again.

Do you know, for instance, that former President Fidel Ramos decided against pressing charges on the delivery truck driver who ran over daughter Chula and rendered her comatose for awhile? Do you know that former First Lady Imelda Marcos sleeps with her makeup on?

Do you know that President Joseph “Erap” Estrada was so eager to come up with his interview with GMA 7 he was the first to accept the network’s invitation to be featured in a TV special, four days after he received it?

Do you know that former President Cory Aquino thinks Erap has the highest EQ (emotional quotient) among all living presidents? And that, asked about the performances of her counterparts, all President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was willing to talk about was her father, former President Diosdado Macapagal?

You didn’t know that, did you? Well GMA 7 has decided to present these and other untold stories about the most influential names that shaped our country — Ferdinand Marcos, Cory Aquino, Fidel Ramos, Joseph Estrada and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Newsmakers: The GMA News Special. And since the subjects are giants of local politics, the network tapped the créme de la créme of its news and public affairs department — Jessica Soho, Mike Enriquez, Mel Tiangco, Arnold Clavio and Vicky Morales for the job.

These five pillars of GMA News interviewed one president each (Imelda spoke in behalf of her late husband, Ferdinand Marcos), with each broadcast journalist getting the subject they are most familiar with.

Thus, Jessica interviewed Cory and her daughters Ballsy, Viel, Pinky and Kris. Mike talked to Imelda and daughter Imee. Mel went to Malacañang for a rare chat with GMA. Arnold met FVR in his home. And Vicky went to Polk street for her one-on-one with Erap.

Arnold and Vicky were lucky. They had a relatively easy time pinning down FVR and Erap, respectively. But the same cannot be said for their colleagues.

Cory’s illness challenged Jessica’s persistence in getting her for an interview. Her first try was an ambush interview at the recent commemoration of Ninoy’s death anniversary. But Jessica managed only two questions since Cory was not feeling well then. The second time around, Jessica was to go to Pinky’s home, where Cory presently lives. The former president was still indisposed. But Jessica didn’t give up. She followed up her request. Until one fine day, Cory felt well enough for the interview. She showed up, in Jessica’s words, “looking better than the time I saw her in the Mass for Ninoy.”

Understandably, Kris was overjoyed. “We will bring Mom to the US when the cancer cells are totally gone,” she reports.

Her family’s nemesis, Imelda, on the other hand, only wanted to commit herself to the interview only after she met up with Mike. That’s just fine with Mr. Imbestigador. But he must not meet her alone. Mike brought his producer and cameraman along.

What he discovered is a gracious host whose impeccable fashion sense is as striking as her endless allusions to “the true, the good and the beautiful.”

Like all sitting presidents, GMA was a challenge to pin down. That’s why Mel felt grateful when the president finally agreed to squeeze in a 30- to 40-minute interview at the Palace.

“She struck me as rigid,” recalls Mel. “She listed her priorities as one, God, two, the country and three, her family. But she relaxed when the interview was over and we posed for a picture-taking session with her.”

Newsmakers director Dante Nico Garcia, who helmed Judy Ann Santos’ Ploning, can now wipe the sweat off his furrowed brow. Directing politicos is alien territory to him. You can’t ask them to repeat what they said, and deliver lines with the same intensity, the way you can ask Judy Ann to do so. Interrupting would be a mortal sin.

Thus, the young director came well-armed for battle. He had five cameras trained at strategic points: The interviewee’s hands, the setting of the interview, the subject’s face, etc. Direk Dante made sure he captured the smallest detail for all the televiewers to see and judge.

Does Erap really have a high EQ? Or is FVR correct in saying his immediate successor “is still acting”? Is FVR sincere in advising GMA to heed his words, or else suffer the dire consequences? Should we give it to Imelda for getting acquitted in all but one of her hundreds of court cases?

Newsmakers: The GMA News Special, which airs Sept. 28, 10:30 p.m., will hopefully give us answers.