The Imbestigador warns: Hindi namin kayo tatantanan!

After doing 262 episodes for the five-year-old GMA public affairs program Imbestigador, host Mike Enriquez disclosed that his conviction in delivering his signature line "Hindi namin kayo tatantanan" is strongest when their show features varied forms of child abuse.

"Issues about children are very close to me personally, because my wife and I do not have kids. We’ve been married for 28 years and we don’t have and will never have kids," he shared.

He recalled that one of the most memorable features of the five-year-old show was the story of Kaye Lazaro, a little girl hit by a stray bullet on the face while sleeping. Probing the case, the Imbestigador team, led by Mike himself, found out that a drunk policeman fired the gun that night. "I personally worked on this story and hindi talaga namin tinantanan until appropriate charges were filed against that cop," he added.

The show also gave viewers a ringside account of rescue operations for kidnapped, enslaved, battered and abused children.

Aside from segments promoting children’s causes and rights, Imbestigador is also known for its bold exposition of various malpractices in the government and the private sectors. A particular episode that roused the public’s interest and caused the Philippine National Police to be alarmed was the investigative report cum exposé on the policeman, who sniffed shabu at their station. This prompted the heads of the PNP to implement the Nationwide Random Drug Testing among its ranks.

Knowing the perils of his job in exposing the truth, Mike has learned to deal with numerous threats from people affected by their reportage. "We take as much precaution as we can, because if we follow pieces of advice from all security consultants, hindi na ako lalabas ng bahay," he said. "But, at the end of the day, we remain focused on our work. We just consider these threats as distractions, which try to immobilize us with terror, fear."

Filipinos abroad are also one of the themes closest to Mike’s heart, especially the episodes he did in Italy and Japan. "I have seen the hardships Filipinos have to bear just to make their families survive. We have heard bad stories but we also make it a point to look for positive, inspiring stories from those countries," he elaborated.

Remembering the show’s early years, Mike could not help but be amazed at how it also became a sumbungan from being a plain investigative show. In fact, after three years of being on the air, Imbestigador had its own action center, which, up to now, caters to the various forms of assistance our kababayan need.

Asked about the success of the show and its current standing as the country’s highest-rated primetime public affairs program, he said, "It has something to do with credibility. Here at Imbestigador, we don’t start something we can’t finish. Hindi talaga namin sila tatantanan hanggang di naaayos ang problema."

But, aside from the high ratings and awards, he said the public’s acknowledgment of a job well-done is most gratifying, saying that it gives him a different high, an inspiration to continue doing public service. After spending 36 years in the broadcast industry, Mike continues to heed the public’s need for a news personality, whose integrity, credibility and values are intact. To say that Mike was born to be a broadcaster and a newsman is an understatement. As he puts it, the Lord placed me here because He and I know this is what I do best and I know I can serve my public best with what I am now doing."