By Alex P. Vidal
“Be impeccable with your word. Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.”—Don Miguel Ruiz
MIKE Enriquez, the late GMA Network Inc. executive, was the major reason why Iloilo broadcaster Mike Estaniel “surrendered” his media accreditation to the Magna Media International in Las Vegas before the 12-round historic bout between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 2, 2015.
“I will prove to Sir Mike (Enriquez) that I will honor what I had promised to him and my colleagues (in DYSI Super Radyo Iloilo). I will return my media accreditation, go back to the Philippines immediately, and visit him in his office (in Quezon City, Philippines) to say sorry,” radioman Mike told me before he handed over his “Temporary Media Accreditation” in the MGM Grand Garden Arena Media Center a week before the boxing match.
I was against radioman Mike’s decision to return the priceless media accreditation since we had to move heaven and earth before Mike was able to obtain it.
Besides, not all journalists in the world who applied for media accreditations in world boxing championships in Las Vegas, especially the Mayweather Jr. vs Pacquiao setto, have been granted.
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“Mike, you are now part of history. Don’t let this golden opportunity slip away. Just go on and cover the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight (for DYSI Super Radyo Iloilo). Mr. Enriquez will not take it against you. He will even be proud of you because even if you are from the local station, you have been given the media accreditation and you are here in Las Vegas to chronicle the fight,” I told radioman Mike.
“But GMA Network has already assigned an official reporter to cover the fight and I don’t want to be accused of overlapping,” insisted radioman Mike.
DYSI Super Radyo Iloilo is an AM station under the GMA Network Inc. Radioman Mike admitted there was an internal “miscommunication” in the coverage of the big Las Vegas boxing event, and he only wanted to be “fair and courteous” to all concerned.
As a matter of principle and personal values, Mike said he always fulfilled what he promised. “Integrity is important to me,” he hissed. “I get along with my (Iloilo) managers because we respect each other.”
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To make the long story short, radioman Mike walked his talk.
He returned the coveted media credential without any condition and went straight to Mr. Enriquez’s office in Quezon City when he deplaned in the Ninoy Aquino International Airport after the Las Vegas mega duel, where Mayweather Jr. outduked the Filipino future presidential candidate in 12 heats.
Mr. Enriquez, who died on August 29 after a long illness, or a month before his 72nd birthday, couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw radioman Mike who fulfilled his promise to visit the veteran TV and radio celebrity in his office.
Mr. Enriquez was ecstatic that an underling already in the limelight in the company of some of the world’s famous sportscasters in glitzy Las Vegas would sacrifice splendor over respect and word of honor.
“Sir Mike made me comfortable by being amiable to me; and there was no antagonism and enmity when he welcomed me in his office,” radioman Mike recalled. “He wished to see me again when he and his wife will visit Iloilo next time.”
Radioman Mike described Mr. Enriquez to be “humble and accommodating.”
To honor the well-loved GMA news anchor and mourn his death, radioman Mike changed the profile photo of his Facebook account with the logo of DYSI 1323 Super Radyo Iloilo. He also replaced the cover photo of his account with the image of Mr. Enriquez in black and white.
(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two daily newspapers in Iloilo.—Ed)
