Interviewers: Victor Reynaldo Ang and Arturo Victorio U. Tolentino Jr
ArVic: Good afternoon po. Sir, I’m Victor Reynaldo Ang. Arvic po, Arvic Tolentino. We’re here to conduct an interview about your life as a journalist. So, for the record po, can you please state your name and position?
Joseph Contreras: For the record, my name is Joseph Voltaire Contreras. I used the byline Volt Contreras when I began writing. Right now, I’m considered a reporter, the senior reporter assigned to the desk since July last year. I started at the Inquirer in 1993 as a proofreader. In 1995, I was a supplements writer. A writer assigned to the advertising section, doing corporate projects as a service to advertisers. In ’96, I applied for a position in the news desk as a cub reporter. And the rest, as we say, is history, and I’ve been a reporter since.
AV: sir, why did you decide to become a newspaper journalist, childhood dream po ba?
JC: Not really. When you ask me about my interests as a boy, I was more into visual arts, painting, poster making. I joined all those contests from elementary through high school. Only in college, maybe I can trace it to the company I kept in UST. In our first two years, we had no majors, only on the third and fourth years we were given a chance to pick a major. I can say that because I write a lot I began discovering books. I grew up kasi in a household that has many books because my mother is a retired teacher. I was told that in the seventies, when the village was flooded, our house was converted into one of those makeshift schools, classroom. So mga, around 1970, ’74. So as I was growing up, some of those books from those times na it was being converted, it was used as a makeshift classroom, sarili naming bahay, some of the books were there. So, you can say that the books introduced me first to drawing. Later, as I grew up, I began to discover the other, adult books for grown ups, so you can say that’s partly an influence. That’s why I decided I can also write.
AV: So, sir wala po kayong family members na into newspapers?
JC: No, not from the family. But if you’ll say if I’m influenced by a person, I can say that they all came na lang when I was already in college. My classmates who were very inclined to literature, plays, they all influenced me. But later on, we decided na for a good chance of employment, kailangan journalism.
AV: Sir, kung may mapopoint out kayo, ano po yung motivation niyo to being a journalist?
JC: Well, two ways. For myself, for my gratification; the chance to be at the forefront of big events; to gain so-called special access to the big events; to say I can, to influence people, whether for hope or for the pleasure of reading, to do that gives a sense of accomplishment for myself. And then, outwardly, they say journalists play the part of a historian, so we have a chance to influence the course of events, to make people think or have a view of what’s happening. Siguro, some call it a service. Definitely, for it’s not really for financial reason that I’ve stuck to this career, although the rewards are good.
AV: May gratification po?
JC: Syempre, I cannot deny that you take on a job for financial reasons primarily. At that level, okay na ako eh. You can say that if you’re at my stage, pwede nang sabihin middle class ang naattain mong level. At the same time, ung community mo are what you call mga educated, not just educated in an academic sense, but in a way that you have a different vision of the country, of what’s happening… may grasp sila of events, not as snob, siguro halfway between mga academe and mga artists. Yun ang comfort ng pagiging middle class eh. In the previous century, they’d call it illustrados. Di ba? Or the community that produced writers back then, they’re not exactly the poor, and they’re not again exactly the rich. Nasa gitna lang, di ba? So un ang comforting aspect ng trabaho ko in which money matters.
AV: So secondary na lang po un?
JC: Secondary, ah no, it was how I got here in the first place. But not that siya yung naging driving force ko at this point. Siguro five years ago, gusto ko lang magkaroon ng stable job. Five or ten years ago, if pag dumating kayo, tinanong niyo yan sa akin it’s good enough for me. Pero, I’ve been in the Inquirer for 13 years na. Right now, I appreciate na those things na okay pala to, in that manner. The pay is, well, good enough para pang middle class, may mga urban comforts. Pero ung stimulation everyday, I engage with very intelligent, mga articulate people, smart in decision making, So nandun ka sa ringside ng decision…
AV: By the way sir, full time job niyo po to? So wala po kayong other sources of income?
JC: If you can consider giving seminars or lectures… hindi.. In fact, oo, wala.
AV: sir, ano po ba talaga ung nature ng job niyo dito? Like what do you do po on a normal day?
JC: Okay, last year kasi, I was assigned sa desk na eh. Pero before that, from 1995 to before last year, ang buhay ko as reporter is field. At around 10am or as early as 8 ang call time ko and kung wala namang assignments, magmo-monitor kami ng news sa radio. Dun typically ang aming first crack sa mga breaking news. By three o’clock, you’re supposed to have conducted several interviews or stories to follow-up, or in the case of police reporter, siguro you have to drop by to some police precincts or courts to interview some people, or some officials to follow up on the stories. By three o’clock, magsu-submit kami ng summary or the advisory. I’m telling the office, this is what I intend to do by six PM. That is, here are the stories that I plan to do, to submit by six PM. We are required two stories a day to be declared present. Kasi wala naman kaming time, so we don’t need to say pag eight o’clock, “ah, ma’am, I’m here na.” basta nag-submit kami ng summary by the 3 PM deadline considered present na kami. At least two, syempre pag kailangan three, kailangan or expected ka ng three or four kung maraming nangyayari. The 3 PM deadline is for the summaries only, between 3 to 6, minsan 5:30, we need to submit those stories.
AV: Why po, sa desk, ano po nature ng job niyo? Ano difference?
JC: Ako ung tagatanggap ng summary.
AV: So, bale, how would you describe the location of the Inquirer office?
JC: Ah, oo. When I joined the Inquirer, we are located sa UN Avenue, sa Malate. UN Ave, ung corner Romualdez St., malapit sa WPD, sa food station. Pero previous to that, i was told na dati na-locate sa Shaw boulevard o malapit sa EDSA crossing, and then later sa Port area. Third location na ung UN Avenue. Fourth location na to. We moved here mga ’94. Kasi supplement writer pa ako nun, sinulat ko pa un eh, paglipat naming dito. Location strategic un eh. Actually very strategic ung location nung anong time na yun. It’s nearer Malacañang. At the time hindi pa uso ung email or modem, fax pa lang. Maganda na ngayon, maganda na ung, ready siyang mag-retreat sa UN, sa headquarters. Malapit din siya sa WPD, walking, two blocks away. Eh, WPD was considered the top police link at the time. Tsaka NBI, malapit sa supreme court. Ah… malapit siya sa senate. At that time, ung senate, nasa may national museum pa un eh. Malapit lang. So, ‘di siya ideal sa mga stock exchange.
AV: how would you, how did you find ung mga facilities.
JC: Ah, at the time na inabot ko, ’94, syempre, the Inquirer still had the reputation of being called, the unmade bed, yung everything was done in haste, dahil, ang tradition ng Inquirer at the time ng Anti-Marcos niya is parang predicate paper or parang rem, parang opposition paper. Medyo may element of danger na… Yung time na extreme, ung ’84, bago mag-People Power so clandestine ung operation. So na-carry over un kahit after People Power. Plus, alam kong strangling ang environment so our building basically, we just rented it. Office building siya, two floors, sa baba yung mga business section, sa second floor ung editorial section as, as this… I’d rather describe it, ung mga bintana, ung mga kagaya ng aluminum foil, parang ganun. Walang design, Alam mo yung, since we’re just renting the place, we have no plans of improving it ourselves later on, tapos the layout of the newsroom was just like this, walang cubicle. You know, you can shout from one end to another. Then may mga executive offices na like this one. Ung editor-in-chief may sariling office, may pinto. The publisher has an office, may pinto. Pero ung mga deskmen, isang row siya, they had terminals na may mga computer. Nung time na pumasok ako ung software na, ewan ko if you still recognize this one, MS Dos? ’94, oo, ung itim na screen, tapos ung pag-control kelangan pa ng certain keys para magkaroon ng cut and paste. In short, walang mouse nun. Tapos ang layout namin, ung parang stripping, ung cut and paste lang namin literal. The typesetting department will come up with a column, column typeset na text and then yung dummy, yung dummy may glue, may wax.
AV: How bout presently po? As in ngayon na po? How would you describe the location of facilities?
JC: Right now ung location doesn’t matter masyado because of the internet, email, send-send nalang. Pag dating sa location siyempre ideal dahil if we have rallies sa Makati, madali. Ba’t hindi ba sa airport? Ganun din eh, parang same distance sa airport, halos. You see, ang location ng office building only becomes significant pag mga breaking news; takbo dito, takbo doon. Ah, eto pa, ang one thing siguro dito is we are very proud to entertain guests, mga walk-in na VIPs. Wala kaming ganun dati eh we have guest rooms and we have a buffet dito, mga two or three rooms. For a more formal occasion, ung executive meron kaming executive board room, dito sa baba, mas formal dun. Tapos may multi-purpose hall kami ditto. In short, mas convenient, mas comfortable. If it’s a measure of comfort, un yon. It is really easily built, for newspaper operation, that’s one thing I can say nung kinon-ceive ito, talagang newspaper operations in mind, unlike just renting.
AV: Ung printing press niyo po, nandito din po?
JC: It’s in the backyard, But that’s another company na. They have the same owners pero different company na.
AV: Ano naman po, ung mga working conditions niyo po dito? Like, ano po ung mga holidays niyo?
JC: Ah, yes. Ang special holiday lang dyario, most of them, at least sa Inquirer, Holy Thursday and Good Friday. Wala, ibig sabihin, walang lalabas sa Friday, walang lalabas sa Black Saturday, that’s the only rest ng operations.
AV: What if may breaking news po?
JC: Wala kaming exceptions. May nangyaring namatay si Rico Yan nung Good Friday, di naman kami nag-publish ng dyario. radio ang nag-break niyan. Di naman kami kailangan magreport niyan eh.
AV: Sir, namention niyo po na cub reporter po kayo dati…
JC: Oo, cub reporter. Ano nga ibig sabihin ng cub? Cub, diba anak ng bear? Dahil junior ka no?
AV: Ano ba experience niyo nun?
JC: They say that’s the most basic training dahil finally you’re dealing with very official sources. Pero hindi naman big enough for you to commit monumental mistakes, kasi ung mga kausap niyo, haven ng police. Police blotter mostly ang statements. And then interview ng witnesses, or suspects. So, in a way, para siyang, kung baga sa training semi pro or considered part ka na ng news team.
AV: Paano niyo ide-describe po ung mga Publisher niyo, ung mga colleagues niyo, ung editors niyo? very professional po ba? Very strict?
JC: Ah… two ways kasi eh. If you’re a reporter on a daily field assignment, you can see that your relationship with them will be limited to telephone conversations, about a few paragraphs in your story. Usually ang nature of your conversation, ung “paki-check niyo nga kung tama to,” “Can you double check this data? I have some doubts.” Parang “Ah, I approved your lead ah, can you do this kind of lead? Is it still accurate?” Pa-ganun bali ung mga conversations pag field. Pero in the past few years, we have, dito sa Inquirer, mga attempts to really make that relationship a mentoring, between mentor and apprentice, or trainee. Two years na nagkaroon ng attempts na ang editor will serve as a coach for two or three individual reporters. Pero, on a daily basis, ganun pa rin eh. Telephone pa rin about specific stories eh. Wala pa ring long conversations about style,, about how to approach this, just how to attack an issue, how to follow up, walang ganun masyado. A reporter will have ung so-called inter-relationship with the guy who is like in my position, kasi we talk lengthily on the phone before they write stories, kasama na dun yun yung during and after they write stories. Kasi kami ang gatekeeper nun. So most of your interaction with the desk, if you’re the reporter, would be through me or my colleagues, or my boss si Roberto Alabastro. Pero ung individual editors, like managing editor, publisher, the editor-in-chief, limited ung so-called relationship you want to describe.
AV: So sir, about dun sa first beat niyo…
JC: My first beat, my first assignment as a cub reporter was the Makati police, and the rules, the courts, the MMDA.
AV: Sir, ano yung mga natutunan niyo dun?
JC: Ah, oo, un ang first bylines ko. Uh, I was lucky enough na at the time I was covering Makati. You won’t remember, but un ung trial ni Jalosjos.
AV: Anong year po un?
JC: Ninety-six? Un ung na-accuse siya ng rape, statutory rape sa bata and at the same time, malaki rin ung beat ko, at that time, newsmaker ang beat ko. Ok din dahil in-introduce na ung color coding nun. So metro story siya, pero not on page one. Tapos nun, nasanay ako sa feature writing. Sa disaster coverage, kasi baha naman sa Taguig, which is first of all, my hometown, and then part ng beat ko. That made my cub reporting days very memorable and productive and, un ung first discoveries ko of what I can do as a reporter, as a writer.
AV: Sir, you stay there for the whole day? How long do you stay?
JC: Ah, Basta ma-meet ung deadline.
AV: Diba sinabi niyo po na parang mahirap pag mag-isa ka?
JC: Hmm… mapipili mo naman eh, you don’t need to print everything. There will be parang a reporters day, or if you’re covering City Hall, you’ll not report everything that happens. DI mo na sasabhin kung ano ung schedule ng mayor, pipiliin mo lang ung mga... di mo naman isusulat bawat galaw ng… pupunta ng health center, hindi. Ganun ang first misunderstanding ng public sa buhay ng reporter eh. Di lahat ng bagay isususlat, ang dami niyang mame-meet in a day, he will cover people with very busy schedules, but he will not write everything in that schedule. Un lang, tsaka when writing about an event, you don’t need to write about everything from start to finish eh. You just capture the most significant part of that event, you do not cover it like you’re taking minutes. Dun sa beat, as a reporter ng police, dun ako naging hasa in covering many events almost simultaneously. Pero di ka naman maha-harass. There was a time na naaalala ko pa when the Inquirer was back to back. Page one ito ung metro section diba? There was a time, na three days in a row, ako ung banner story dito, tsaka dito. Dahil nga nagkasabay yung color coding sa metro, tsaka ung Jalosjos trial.
AV: Sir, meron ba po kayong na-encounter na mga editors na memorable sa inyo? Like, halimbawa may nagawa sila sa inyo...
JC: Ah, okay. If I should name one, she would be Miss Chato Garcillano. Yung coaching niya is parang, how to formulate graphs if it carries an opinion. Instead of saying na halimbawa pag may politically sensitive na remark ang isang tao you have to qualify na remark niya yun, parang sakanya galing yun, di galing sa reporter yun kundi galing sa tao na yun, parang “congressman Juan dela Cruz denounced what he called a one sided agreement”. Kesyo sabihin niyo na “the congressman yesterday denounced a one sided agreement” parang may kakaiba diba? Parang galing sa akin? Yung mga ganun, actually very basic diba pero siya yung nagpoint out sakin first nung mga ganyan. Yung after editing the story tumatawag pa siya sakin na “Ah ganto dapat yan Voltz ah”, may mga ganoong effort siya na ngayon nagagamit ko. Dahil nageedit na din ako lately ng stories eh. So yun parang iwas libel yun eh diba?. Ano pa ba? Si Letty Magsanoc yung editor in chief siya yung tipong taga-form, tagapagpaganda ng lead, tagapag pasexy ng lead.. Sabi nga nila what is news and what is a story? magkaiba yun. The news is that” a house burned down to a two hour fire”, the story is “that a family of 6 perished in a fire”. Parang ganun may human element. Si LJM siya yung taghanap ng best angle, best lead. Halimbawa ayaw na niya nung mga obvious na “anti arroyo forces yesterday staged a massive rally in Makati yesterday”. Ayaw na niya ng mga lead na ganun kasi alam na natin yun eh, ang gusto niyang lead, “anti Arroyo forces yesterday marched in Makati but without the confetti courtesy of the Ayala Group of companies”. Ibig sabihin nun wala silang support ng business elite, yung mga ganun anggulo. Ang una niyang sinasabi is parang napanood na sa TV yun kaya let us offer more for our readers tom, something that the other media especially TV, kinokonsider kasi naming kompetetor yung tv kasi nauuna sila eh. Ang mentality namin dapat, pag sabay-sabay kami nag-cover ng event today, halimbawa conviction ni Erap kanina. Ano ang hindi nila nakita na pwede naming isulat bukas? Okay, naconvict si Erap, pero alam niyo ba na na-convict siya in the same building where he was inaugurated two years ago in his so-called crusade for justice? Ung mga irony na ganun, yun ung mga value added ng print. Meron ka pang luxury of time, para mag-research, para maging in-depth, maging creative ng konti, look for angles na di nakuha ng camera or mga TV crew in their haste to make their deadline last night. Isa un sa mga importanteng nakuha ko sa mga editor ko, hanap ka ng mga value-added, dahil pag uulitin mo lang ang TV, ba’t pa magaksayang ng twenty Pesos sa yo?
AV: Ano ung mga attitude nila sa mga deadlines po? Professional po ba?
JC: Ah di mo matatanggal sa editor ung mga nagfl-flare up kasi lalo na pag late ang istorya. Pero ung flare ups na yon, di naman lumalabas. Bukas wala na yon. Wala na nga ngayon ung mga so-called “screaming editors”, wala na eh. dati kasi may mga screaming editors kasi ung mga reporter, dahil wala pang modem, o wala pang email, pwersado silang magsulat sa opis. So katabi nila yung editor, “O, ano ba yan, ang tagal ah.” Ngayon kahit sa telephone wala na yatang nagii-scream. Dahil nga digital na ang environment so hindi na ganun ka-“toxic” ang set-up ng newsrooms. Wala na ung old notion natin na nagsisigawan.
AV: Pero very strict sila obviously?
JC: Oo. How do they enforce the deadline? They said, ang message nila is pag na-late ka, malamang di ka na bibigyan ng byline. Nasubmit mo nga, pero wala ka nang byline, baka tagline ka nalang meaning ung pangalan mo nasa ilalim. Yun pan aman yung pride ng reporter, un na lang siguro ang isa sa mga consequences na ibibigay sa yo. Bihira na ung mga papagalitan ka talaga “Ano ba to?” Wala na yon.
AV: Eh, nung reporter pa po kayo? Paano nila sinasabi sa inyo, ung like, ung sa deadline?
JC: Sa deadline? Na-assume ko nalang talaga na galit na sila. Pero wala akong narinig. Alam kong umiinit na sila dito pero wala naman ung mga sumasabog sa phone na mga ganun. May mga taga-sabi na ngayon, un, ako na.
AV: How bout po, when it comes to the accuracy po ng mga sinusulat niyo?
JC: Ah, ayan. Diyan kami unforgiving ng konti. Ano, pag extreme lapses like memo suspension kahit editors minsan dahil di nado-double check ung facts. May na-interview, may kino-quote na patay… pinuntahan ang website ng government agency, eh ung agency na yon, di na pala updated, patay na patay pala ang taong kino-quote dun sa website. Isa pang example yung natanggal ung word na “not”? President Arroyo was present during, dapat pala was not present during the meeting. Lumampas, honest mistake ng reporter, ung mistake na yon di made-detect ng editor, lumabas kinabukasan. Na-suspend pa din ung editor, di lang ung reporter.
AV: Sa memory niyo po ni miss Garcillano, how did she enforce ethics po sa inyo? Kunwari po, as a reporter…
JC: As in accepting money?
AV: Part na rin po, pero how would you approach po ung ini-interview?
JC: Ah. Kasi, I would not limit my experiences pag dating dun with Ms. Garcillano. Kasi dito sa Inquirer, ang general understanding, unwritten rule na nga eh, bawal tumanggap, bawal mag-entertain ng any consideration if you want to write a story. Meron kaming rulebook eh. It says na pag gift or tokens, okay lang yon, mga corporate give aways, token, Dunkin’ Donuts, okay lang yan. Kung may dumating man na food, kailangan siguro mag-share lang sa office. Uhm, pencil, umbrella, t-shirt, kasi may mga legitimate PR people who do that, magpadala ng press release para, and then partly para, for good will, magbibigay ng ano. Pag pera, iba na ung usapan.
AV: May na-experience na po kayo dati na may colleague po kayo na beat niya ung Malacañang, tapos may tumawag po sa inyo na di niyo beat naman ung Malacañang, paano niyo ia-approach un?
JC: Ah, ipapaalam un sa central desk. So they can figure out whether it would be a good story or. Otherwise ang tawag diyan, encroachment. Medyo sensitive dun and mga reporter. Di mo naman beat yan eh, ba’t atat na atat ka? Ano ba meron diyan? Ano bang usapan niyo? Ganun na yon eh. Although hindi naman competition, kundi mind your own turf. Respect my turf, I’ll respect yours.
AV: Kahit magkasama kayo sa dyario?
JC: Up to ganung point, may sensitivity kami na ganun. professionalism un eh. Like, hindi na, dahil ikaw unang nakakita, ikaw ung gagawa,
Unless napaka-extreme na sumabog ung LRT habang nakasakay ka, ikaw na siguro susulat nun.
AV : Halimbawa kayo nga ung tinawagan, like ayaw magpa-interview sa iba nung subject
JC : Ah, ki-clear ko dito sa office namin, meron naman kaming mga considerations na, kung baga, I must conform. So, ibig sabihin nun, I’m sending a message to the person na you’re dealing not just with me, you’re dealing with the entire organization that I represent. Di lang ako yan, di kamo na naginuman lang tayo last week, ganun na tayo. O, di kamo magkaibigan kayo ng asawa ko. You draw that line that you give that sense that you’re not dealing with just a person but with the organization.
AV: Sir, ano po ung mga best memories niyo as a young reporter?
JC: Memories? Ah, ung first time syempre, ung first time ko mag-travel. Sa trabaho ko, madalas, libre ang travel eh. Oo, sagot ng Inquirer, if you do overseas coverage, mga presidential trips, un ung isa sa mga masasabi kong perks ng pagiging journalist. I’ve been to siguro 18 cities na. Since na napasok ako napuntahan ko na yung Pentagon, UN Headquarters, Vatican, Sistine Chapel, mga ganun. Syempre as a working journalist pero syempre sa gabi iba na yun. Naakyatan mo na ung Eiffel Tower, ung mga ganun syempre siguro kung ibang trabaho ako, di ako ganito. Siguro in a child-like way, I relish those things. Memorable in a sense na extreme ung mga so-called perks. At the same time ung mga trabaho ko involving poverty, tragedy, halimbawa ung memorable ko ung landslide sa Leyte, maraming namatay dun. May maririnig ka ng mga fifteen feet o mga twenty feet below may magte-text for help, ung mga ganun. Tapos may school na nawala, may mga 200 kids na nandun. Siguro five days kami nandun tapos nag-request na ako ng relief. Ang hirap dun eh, wala kasing lodging dun. Mga ganung stress, hindi ko naman sasabihing stress, kundi profound impact. Kahit sasabihin mong reporter ka, siga-siga ka, if I demand for information, I’ll get it. After that coverage, talagang medyo manglalata ka. Siguro for two days tahimik lang muna ako kasi na-appreciate ko lang din ung pagkamatay ng mga tao… parang naa-appreciate mo na na dinadamdam mo pa na “bakit ganito nangyari, napaka-indescriminate ng nangyari. Parang alam niyo yun, makikinig sana ako ng music pero parang wag muna. Bibili sana ako ng bagong t-shirt para ma-relax, pero parang okay, saka nalang, para sa mga namatay, parang ganun. Eto ako magsta-Starbucks, o pupunta sa Powerbooks to indulge in reading, pero sige, wag muna, kain lang muna tayo. Para tahimik, kain tayo sa bahay. Parang di muna ako nagbasa ung for pleasure. Ung mga ganung extreme experiences na, na degenerate ka ng byline. Isa pang memorable, I was assigned as the good news beat reporter, first time nagkaroon ng good news beat at sa akin binigay. Diba kasi ung readers parang fatigued na eh, puro na lang injustice, puro scum, wala naman nangyayari sa mga senators. Yng good news what’s really happening na positive naman, yung parang pa-inspire, para sasabihin natin na hindi naman ganun dito sa Pilipinas.
AV: Sir ano po ung mga good news na yun? anu ung pinaka-significant, sa mga assignments.
JC: Ah, marami. Ung mga, ung ginagawa ng private sector for the improvement of education. Mga inspiring individual stories. Inspiring in a sense na, ung more personal na dating. Inspiring ung taong to, despite his handicap. Nainlove sila pareho, kahit pero pareho silang paralyzed from the waist down. Feel good. Merong bata na habang bumibili ng mangga, nakita niya ung pambalot Inquirer, binabasa niya ung letter to the editor about a retired broadcaster. Kinuha niya ung pambalot, ang ginawa niya, sinulatan niya ng letter yung writer. Tapos nagkaroon na sila ng correspondence, naging project niya sa school yun. Mga ganung simple stories, tapos ang paragraph ko noon, “a simple newspaper used to wrap mangoes started a correspondence between two generations.” Tapos, diba si Pacquiao merong mga victory parade? Si Morales ata ung tinalo niya noon nagkaroon siya ng victory parade. Banner story ng Inquirer, oo, sa ibang dyario caption lang eh. Ginawang banner story dito, at ung coverage ko nun, naging finalist ng Catholic mass media.
AV: Ah… nanalo kayo sir?
JC: Ay, hindi. Finalist lang. Pero ung kino-consider kong magic dun, ung coverage ng parade naging CMMA finalist. Kasi ang lead paragraph ko dun ay, “As a Pacman fan put it yesterday, this is how Filipinos celebrate a “clean” victory.” Patama un sa Garci at that time, kasi raging ung Hello Garci. Un ang gusto nang lead ni Letty Magsanoc. Hahanap ka ng ibang anggulo kaysa sabihin mo lang na “millions cheered the homecoming of the country’s latest boxing sensation.’
AV: Sir, balik po tayo sa bad news. What other significant events were there?
JC: Ung Erap verdict, yung lead paragraph ko sa tingin ko ang nagdala ulit nun. Imbis na sabihin ko lang, “Joseph Estrada was convicted yesterday,” ang opening line ko is quote ni Erap. “I took a gamble”, Joseph Estrada said, and the nation watched as the gambler lost.”
AV: Nandun po kayo sir, kinover niyo mismo?
JC: Oo. Tapos lately, last month ata or May, nanalo kami ng Society of Publishers in Asia. Asia wide na yan ah, ung coverage, naalala niyo ung hostage-taking ng school bus? Apat kaming nag-cover, ako ung team leader. Dun sa SoPA merong category ng breaking news, ang ibig sabihin nun, un ung mga unplanned reporting na on the spot reporting, nanalo kami ng second place, sa buong Asia. Ang lead namin doon, is “The nation is left wondering whether it discovered a new hero or just another deadly political stunt.” police reporting yon ah, pero ganun ang lead paragraph ko. Yon ang mga value-added na inaalam namin dito sa Inquirer.
AV: Sir paano po ung mga coup attempts?
JC: A, hindi ako na-tap noon eh. Sa Oakwood… Batasan news ako nun eh, and nasa Quezon City ako at that time nakatira. Ang unang pinadala dito ang mga malalapit ang bahay, kasi umaga, mga 5 o’clock nun eh, so hindi ako masyado na-involve.
AV: Sir ung mga EDSA Dos?
JC: EDSA Dos? Hindi, ung coverage ko nun DILG, tsaka good news, malayo ako sa politics.
AV: As a field reporter po, meron na ba kayong death-defying experience?
JC: Death? Ay, wala pa. Kasi hindi ako nagtagal masyado sa police eh. Pag national naman, puro on the record ng ibang tao.
AV: Meron po kayong mapo-point out na pinaka-memorable na life-changing? As a reporter po, as in naranasan niyo bilang field reporter.
JC: Ung mga nabanggit ko sa inyo, yon ung parang accumulation of what I can do, what I can teach siguro sa iba, pero ung one single incident? Dalawa, when it comes to covering a big event ung Erap verdict; when it comes to covering a small event and making it big, ung Pacquiao. Yon ung masasabi ko, kung may nagtanong sa akin na reporter, parang, “Pwede mong palakihin yon in this way,” pwede ko sabihin yon. Maliit lang yan pero pwede natin pagandahin ung storya. Sa field, yun yon eh. Yun ung time na reporter pa ako.
AV: Meron ba kayong experience na hindi niyo na-contact ung source, ung lahat na ginawa niyo, as in ‘di kayo natulog…
JC: One thing I learned is I know when to give up, yon na ung sense of detachment mo sa trabaho. Pag ayaw talaga at nakita ng isang third party, ganun kasi ung organization, pag meron kang ginagawa, at least merong isa na nakakaalam, at least alam ng superior niyo, at dapat in good faith din, hindi ung bola-bola lang. Siguro un ang comforting thing pag hindi kaya e. Hindi sila nadi-disappoint katulad dati. Sa example mo ah, hindi ung I’ll give it up, I’m a failure. Hindi ung hindi ko maco-cover and isang story, di ko pa naman nararamdaman ung ganun na point. Pag hindi nakuha, malamang, pwede siya mag-contact ng iba.
AV: How bout physically sir, ano ung pinaka…
JC: Grueling? Ah, medyo sa emotional yun eh, pero grueling as in nagkasakit ako, as a result of coverage, wala pa. A, pero I won’t say it’s pagod eh, kasi adrenaline rush na yon eh. Oo, at this point di ko masasabing pagod un eh… at this point, mapapagod ako kung pinabalik-balik niyo ako sa grocery, kung pina-drive niyo ako kasi may nalimutan ka, mapapagod ako. Pero ung coverage, ung pagod di ko masabi.
AV: Rephrase po natin. Alin ung pinaka-adrenaline rush para sa inyo?
JC: Pinaka? Ung coverage sa Leyte. Dahil dun nagsusulat na ako ng 5 o’clock ng umaga eh, kasi tahimik, kasi alam mo na ung lead paragraph niyo, halimbawa natutulog ka, pag gising mo ng 5:30, un. Yon ung time na di naman ako required magsulat ng 5:30 pero bakit ko ginawa yun, ba’t ko gagawin ng 5:30? Dahil nga, excited ako sa isusulat ko, hindi siya takbuhan ah, di siya act of chasing a story, it would be the act of writing itself. Kasi ung takbuhan sa coverage, yon ang very, very unnecessary minsan eh. Ibig sabihin naghahabol ka dahil late ka, ganun ang dating eh.
AV: Meron na po kayong na-experience na may VIP tapos ayaw magpa-interview tapos habol lang kayo ng habol?
JC: Hmm... Oo, minsan telephone. Pero I won’t consider that a major disappointment. Siguro pinaka-rush sakin is you cover one single event and you’ll write two stories from the same event. Halimbawa, SONA ni Manny Villar, SONA ni GMA nung mga 2001. Isang event lang yon, pero kinabukasan, naalala ko, apat ang byline ko sa page one. Ung mga ganung magic, ung mga ganung rush. Simpleng, walang ibang nakakakita. Yon ung sinasabi kong pleasure na para sakin nalang to, passion ko yon. Pero iba na ung kung yung whether I do a real service to the country or not, ibang bagay na yon. Pero pleasure ko yon as a writer.
AV: Sir may motto po ba kayo as a reporter, or personal principle that you follow in everything that you do?
JC: Sabi nila, sabi ni editor na dapat accuracy…there’s only one rule which is accuracy, accuracy, accuracy. Pero isa rin sigurong motto is offer something to the reader na for you is something na others miss. Ung competitive nature at attitude mo sa work siguro should be ganun. Offer something sa readers, na siyempre valid ah, na others would otherwise hear from a columnist, or from a historian, or from a researcher. Kung baga, ikaw na ung mag-point out nun, kasya iba. Minsan ganito eh, kung di natin sinabi yon ngayon, baka si ano pa magsabi nyan, senator pa magsabi niyan o mag-point out niyan, or wag na natin hintayin na iba ang magsabi nito, tayo na magsabi nito. Pag may alam kang magandang point that will set you apart from the rest na nag-cover nun,ikaw na magsabi nun. Or pag alam mo na ito ang lead paragraph ng mga kalaban ko, ibahin mo na. Yon, un ung thinking ko as a Inquirer reporter, conscious ako sa kung ano dapat edge natin.
AV: Sige sir, that concludes our, un na po ung last question.
JC: A, salamat.
AV: Thank you, sir. Enjoy your Dunkin’ Donuts po.
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Voltaire Contreras was born on May 21, 1971 in Taguig. He studied journalism at the University of Santo Tomas. At the time of the interview, he was a reporter for the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
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