MANILA, Philippines - Anthony Taberna was named Best Male Newscaster at the recently-held 25th PMPC Star Awards for Television for his primetime newscast Iba-Balita ni Anthony Taberna, which recently celebrated its first anniversary, airing weeknights on Studio 23.
Known for his feisty and fearless commentaries on both radio and television, Anthony has made his mark in the industry as he produced some of the biggest stories that rocked the nation.
Anthony, together with his team from ABS-CBN’s investigative program XXX, caught former Batangas Gov. Antonio Leviste with his illegal trips outside his prison cell in the New Bilibid Prison. The scoop not only exposed the alleged special treatment given to Leviste, but also sparked discussions on the efficiency of the government’s judicial branch penal system in handling high-profile personalities in jail.
He once again shook the political landscape this year with his exclusive interview with former Maguindanao election supervisor Lintang Bedol, who exposed the alleged fraud committed by former Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo during the 2007 elections.
Aside from his political exposés, Anthony also heeds the call for public service when he broke the story about a grandmother detained by her own family in a dog cage. The rescue operation aired in XXX, TV Patrol and Iba-Balita spurred the emotions of many Pinoy viewers and was one of the most talked about topics on social networking sites that night.
Anthony, also called Tunying, is no longer new in exposing controversies. In 2005, Anthony scored one of the biggest scoops in history when he reported the controversial Garci tape.
But with every political scandal he exposes, Anthony’s life is also being exposed to possible danger. Be it through text or online messages, death threats are already part of Anthony’s usual grind at work.
The name Anthony or Tunying has also became a household name for his hard-hitting and no-holds-barred commentaries that radio listeners and TV viewers find informative and entertaining at the same time.
When asked about how he was able to win the hearts of Filipino audience, Anthony said it’s just about using the language that common people use and discussing serious topics in a funny way.
Anthony’s excellence in the field of journalism shines through in his work across all media, and it has opened many doors for him in his broadcasting career that started way back in 1992 when he served as an intern writing news for an AM station.
Three years ago, Anthony was given the chance to enrich his knowledge in the field when he was chosen as the recipient of the Benigno S. Aquino Jr. Fellowship for Professional Development for Journalism by the Embassy of the United States of America.
He came a long way as a reporter that started when he joined DZMM in 1997. He was then the youngest Radyo Patrol reporter at that time.
Anthony has come full circle as a reporter after covering Malacañang, Congress, Supreme Court, Defense, police and other important assignments.
He got his first break as a radio anchor in 2000 via the weekend program Ito Ang Radyo Patrol and later, the daily early morning radio show Gising Pilipinas that was also aired on ANC.
Anthony anchors Dos Por Dos on DZMM; Umagang Kay Ganda; XXX; Ako ang Simula and Iba-Balita ni Anthony Taberna.