Presidential candidates face tough job interviews

People say that aspiring for the presidency is like applying for the most coveted — at times most dreaded — job on the land.

For two of the country’s most respected broadcast journalists, GMA News pillars Mel Tiangco and Mike Enriquez, choosing the next president is a very serious matter. As such, the public needs to be fully-equipped with relevant information to make the best decision come Election Day.

“Like anyone applying for a job, it is important for candidates to be scrutinized through an extensive job interview,” shares Mike.

And as such, Mike joins Mel on GMA News and Public Affairs’ election special Wanted: President, a series of one-on-one interviews with the candidates of the 2016 presidential race, with the end goal of empowering the Filipino voters. The show will air on weekends starting this Sunday, Jan. 24, 9:30 p.m. on GMA 7.

Seen every night on GMA’s flagship primetime newscast 24 Oras, Mel and Mike are known for their unbiased treatment of issues that they deliver and discuss, asking relevant questions and even throwing in queries no one dares to ask. 

In Wanted: President, the presidential candidate seemingly takes on the role of an applicant while Mel and Mike serve as the HR personnel who will help the boss know the applicant better. 

These presidential aspirants, shortly after declaring their intention to run and making it official by filing their respective certificates of candidacy late last year, have been trying to show the Filipino people that they are the best man or woman for the job.

Thus, for the voting public, it becomes more important to be proactive in the upcoming elections and to know beyond what the candidates are saying in respective paid ads in print, TV, radio and social media.

Wanted: President’s “job interview” seeks to address this by discussing various topics ranging from the candidate’s personality, his/her stand on various national and international issues, his/her involvement in various controversies and his/her concrete action plans for the country’s future.

Mike adds, “How will they answer controversies they are said to be involved in? What is their stand on various issues the country is facing right now? How do they plan to solve these problems?”

Aside from conducting a character check, employers usually look at an applicant’s employment history. The same is true in choosing the next president.

“Before an applicant gets accepted for any position, it is necessary to look at his track record,” says Mel.

Expecting their answers are the more than 50 million registered Filipino voters — also considered as the would-be president’s boss.

On Wanted: President’s pilot episode, Vice President Jejomar Binay will take the hot seat as Mike asks about various allegations of corruption being hurled against him.

Will the VP be able to clear his name on issues that include the Hacienda Binay, the overpriced Makati building and the Boy Scout land deal? If elected president, how will he fight corruption in the government?

Next Saturday, Jan. 30, Liberal Party’s standard bearer and former DILG Secretary Mar Roxas will be interviewed by Mel. The rest of the presidential aspirants are scheduled to grace the said program in the following weeks.

Yet in the end, Mel and Mike can only ask the questions. It is still the voters who will make the ultimate decision.

“It will still be up to the voters to decide which candidate deserves to be elected as the next Philippine president,” says Mel.

Over the years, the Kapuso Network has been producing groundbreaking programs that cater to the needs of the time. These include Bio Data, Biyaheng Totoo, election forum series Isang Tanong, Kandidato, Paninindigan, Philippine Agenda, Votebook and the Wanted series that featured candidates for president, congressman, governor, mayor and senator.