THE PHILIPPINE broadcasting scene lost a “solid pillar” and an iconic voice in Mike Enriquez, who died Aug. 29 at the age of 71, journalism professors from UST said.
Enriquez, who became known as the face and voice of television newscasts and programs “24 Oras,” “Saksi,” and “Imbestigador,” signed off after a career that spanned over 50 years.
In a Facebook post, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Manny Mogato fondly recalled Enriquez as a top news presenter who remained humble throughout his career.
“He was warm, down-to-earth for a broadcaster of his stature,” Mogato wrote.
Mogato recalled how the De La Salle alumnus was able to reinvent himself from a “sophisticated radio DJ to a ‘pang-masa’ news anchor.”
“Somehow Mike was reincarnated into something when he became GMA’s newsreader and host of ‘Imbestigador.’ There was authority, genuineness in his voice,” he said. “Goodbye, Mike, the Philippine broadcast industry lost a pillar and a voice.”
Asst. Prof. Jose Maria Carlos, assistant vice president for news of CNN Philippines who teaches broadcast journalism courses, said Enriquez came across as “a broadcaster committed to the watchdog role of news media.”
“He sought to increase transparency and accountability of our politicians and other public figures and institutions,” Carlos told the Varsitarian. “He exposed corruption, abuse of power, and other violations of the law.”
“The work was challenging and arduous, but he persisted as that was what public service dictated…We will miss his booming voice, truly a broadcaster’s voice that reminds us that we must remain steadfast and persistent in our fight for good governance. No doubt, the broadcast industry has so much to thank him for.”
For James Agustin, a UST journalism alumnus and GMA News reporter, Enriquez’s legacy goes beyond his iconic lines.
“One of his legacies would be his fair and bias-free reportage. This was evident in his public affairs show,” Agustin told the Varsitarian.
Agustin added that Enriquez, or “Booma” as his colleagues called him, was the reason he became a reporter.
“Even though I was a young reporter at that time and did not have much knowledge in broadcasting, he trusted me,” Agustin said. “I learned a lot from Sir Mike—his professionalism and ethics as a journalist.”
Enriquez began his broadcasting career as a staff announcer at the Manila Broadcasting Company in 1969.
He later worked at the Freedom Broadcasting Network, Radio Mindanao Network, and eventually, GMA Network, where he managed an expansion in the number of radio stations.
Enriquez anchored a television newscast for the first time in 1995, a shift that continued for over two decades, being the anchor of several GMA newscasts and public affairs programs.
It was on television that Enriquez delivered lines that would later become iconic, like “Hindi namin kayo tatantanan,” and “Excuse me po!”
In 2018, the veteran broadcaster underwent heart bypass surgery. He took a medical leave in 2021 to undergo a kidney transplant.
Enriquez went off-air indefinitely in August 2022 after returning three months prior for the coverage of the national elections.
A public viewing of Enriquez’s wake will be held at the Christ the King Parish in Greenmeadows, Quezon City on Saturday, Sept. 2. Ernest Martin G. Tuazon
