Veteran news anchor Mel Tiangco recalled good memories in her sentimental eulogy for her late co-anchor Mike Enriquez, including the backstory behind the latter’s iconic “Excuse me po!”
Mel was the one who broke the news of her former colleague’s death during the Tuesday airing of GMA’s newscast program 24 Oras last August 29. Mike was 71 years old.
She was among the media personalities who attended the veteran newscaster’s wake at Christ The King Chapel in Greenmeadows, Quezon City.
A video posted by PEP on YouTube last Saturday, Sept. 2, captured Mel’s eulogy for Mike where she shared stories and anecdotes she learned about him from decades of being news partners.
Mel began by mentioning Mike’s iconic and well-loved lines such as “Hindi namin kayo tatantanan!”, “Kami ang inyong saksi!”, “Excuse me po!”, and his fast and strong delivery of news, which most people regarded as a part of their childhoods.
“People have said that Mike Enriquez was a part of their childhood as they grew up watching him on TV, listening to him on the radio. Ako naman, we grew older together, working with him since 1996,” she said.
According to Mel, she had known Mike even before they worked together at GMA Network in 1996 as he was her superior back when she began her radio career at Radio Mindanao Network DZXL.
In almost three decades of being co-anchors in GMA7’s 24 Oras and Saksi, Mel said that she had already been all too familiar with Mike at work and even behind the cameras.
She even revealed the reason behind moments of Mike coughing while reporting which gave birth to his iconic line, “Excuse me po!”.
“Alam nyo ba kung bakit siya umuubo ‘excuse me po!’? Kasi kumakain sa studio!” Mel exposed her colleague, eliciting laughter from other attendees.
She also revealed that it was not just crackers but also instant noodles-in-a-cup as one of his favorite quick meals.
“Kung sipsipin niya ang noodles kala mo kumakain ng ano. Sarap na sarap siya!” Mel said, mimicking the slurping sound of eating noodles.
“Eh bawal kami! Bawal kami sa studio kumain! Kumakain talaga [siya],” she noted, adding that Mike’s excuse was being diabetic, he doesn’t allow himself to be hungry and made it his routine to eat every two hours.
“Ito ang mahirap, inaalok nya pa kami! ‘Gusto niyo?’ Eh bawal nga sa studio ‘di ba? But you know he gets away with things like that,” Mel shared with a laugh.
Meanwhile, it can be recalled that Enriquez had also explained the reason behind excusing himself when coughing during GMA’s 20th-anniversary special for Imbestigador in 2020, saying it was all because of “GMRC” or good manners and right conduct.
