Robert Tan and Jay Ruiz, two of ABS-CBN 2’s most dynamic police reporters, have been through the wringer, so to speak.
They have ventured into the seamy underbelly of the metropolis and have witnessed gory crimes we only see in the movies. And yet, through it all, they have maintained their youthful optimism because they have also been inspired by the random acts of kindness of ordinary Filipinos who choose to help their neighbors in times of catastrophe.
They’ve seen the best and worst of times. They’ve seen the best and worst in people.
On more than one occasion, while covering the police beat for TV Patrol (Mondays to Fridays, 6 to 7 p.m.), they actually looked death in the eye.
"There are a lot of risks in our line of work," 29-year-old Robert explains. "Especially since we are assigned in the graveyard shift. A lot of the major crimes happen at night."
"It goes with the job," Jay, 28 years young, agrees. "There were a number of instances when we had to join police raids."
They often had to crouch and hide as bullets flew in all directions.
"It can get pretty scary," Jay candidly admits. "You ask yourself: Is this it? Is this the end?"
Robert and Jay do not wish to glorify their profession, though. They are not audacious Superheroes fighting crime, they concur. "We’re only human." They’re just actually brave boys.
They’ve had awfully close calls in the past. Jay and Robert, in fact, were caught in the middle of a media-unfriendly mob of pro-Erap loyalists at the height of EDSA 3.
By some stroke of luck, they had with them the keys of the ABS CBN van. As such, they were able to zoom out of that potentially fatal situation.
They persist despite the danger, . Even if their parents shake their heads and pray that their kids had chosen a more sedate profession like marketing (Robert’s college degree) or real estate (Jay’s original field) instead.
"Occasional danger lang naman," Jay says. "My parents are taking it very well. In fact, they are very supportive. One thing that motivates me is that my parents are very proud of me."
"In the beginning, they didn’t like it," Robert chimes in. "But I insisted that this is what I wanted to do."
Nowadays, Robert’s parents are more than encouraging. They are, in fact, Robert’s biggest fans and critics.
"They always watch me on TV," Robert says with a smile. "They tell me: Fix yourself. You look haggard on TV. Comb your hair. My mom watches the morning and evening news pa nga."
Perhaps their parents realized that Robert and Jay have found their place in the sun at night, working as reporters covering the police beat. (Jay logs in at 4 p.m. and is in the field until 12 midnight. Robert’s shift begins at 12 midnight and lasts until 8 a.m.)
Both Robert and Jay get an uncommon high on the prowl, scouring the city streets for noteworthy news.
"We look for stories," Jay takes us through the process. "We go around the different police stations. We develop a lot of assets whom we get to met in the field."
"We get tips from different people," Robert explains. "We drive around the city looking for news."
Sometimes the news finds them.
Robert remembers that he was about to call it a night (at 8 a.m.!), when the Laoag Air plane crashed in Manila Bay.
"Since I was already in the studio, I was assigned to cover the tragedy," Robert relates. "I had to work nonstop."
"Our schedules are not fixed," Jay confirms. "We are constantly on call."
Their grit and grace under pressure were proven in numerous occasions.
Among Jay’s most memorable assignment were EDSA 2 and 3, the Manor Hotel fire, the Pasay City hostage taking and death of victim Dexter Balalang, and the repatriation of Filipinos in Sabah.
As for Robert, he was given the chance to cover the John Campos ambush, the Nida Blanca murder, the Strawberry shooting and the Maria Teresa Carlson suicide.
Both Robert and Jay shy away from covering the raids of nightclubs where scantily clad women are often exploited for a few video shots.
"I refrain from doing that," Robert asserts. "There’s a moral dilemma. Although it could provide good video, the women end up victimized many times over. Those who should be jailed are not the women but the owners, the operators, and the protectors of those nightclubs."
"Oftentimes they are not really serious in closing down such clubs," Jay attests. "After a while, the same raided bars would be reopened. Sometimes the protectors just want an increase, that’s why they harass nightclub owners. I don’t’ want to be part of their game. If they really have a morality drive, then these bars should be closed and should remain padlocked."
Indeed, these Young Turks speak with idealism seldom observed in the highly cynical broadcast industry.
For their dream stories, in fact, Robert wants to focus on environmental concerns, while Jay wishes to delve into the population growth issue.
The future of broadcasting is in the hands of these dreamers.