The award-winning program that pioneered investigative journalism on Philippine television is bidding goodbye for now after almost a quarter of a century in investigating the top issues and personalities in the country.

Probe is going full circle as it celebrated its remarkable run, which began during the presidency of Corazon Aquino, with a two-part series about the ascent to presidency of Cory’s son, President-elect Benigno Aquino III.

In the two-part special, Cheche Lazaro featured life in the Malacañang Palace with a series of interviews with presidential offsprings Nini Quezon, Ilocos Norte Governor-elect Imee Marcos, and former Sen. Jun Magsaysay, former presidents Joseph Estrada and Fidel V. Ramos, and even Palace employees and servants who will bare the secrets of Malacañang.

On June 30, Cheche zeroed in on Sen. Noynoy Aquino’s march to the presidency beginning with the grueling 2010 election campaign to his inauguration, getting the inside story behind the issues in his candidacy and the transition to his administration straight from his campaign manager Butch Abad, incoming presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda, and the Aquino sisters.

Despite the exit of Probe Profiles, Lazaro said Probe Productions Inc. will continue churning up brave and quality projects and might return to television, while she will still be seen as anchor of “Media in Focus” on ANC, the ABS-CBN News Channel.

Lazaro said, “for as long as Filipinos look at the nation with probing eyes and minds, the Probe legacy lives on.”

He was not born with a silver spoon, but Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay has
been king of the Philippines’ financial district and home of some of the
country’s richest families for more than two decades. (more…)

Loren’s politics Formidable presidential candidates who needed a viable running mate pursued her. Considered a “presidentiable” herself, Senator Loren Legarda played coy and took her time in choosing a partner for the May 2010 elections. When she finally did, the broadcaster-turned-politician had a lot of explaining to do.

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Q: JC, lumaki ka sa isang political family. Ano yung impluwensya non sa iyo?

A: Natuto ako kung pa’no makisalamuha sa taumbayan. Natuto ako na manirbisyo sa larangan ng pulitika.

Q: Pero ngayon na nagdesisyon kang pumasok, full steam ahead, ika nga, nasa’n ang pamilya mo?

A: Hindi ko masasabing nandito sila dahil ang pamilya ko, may kandidato rin, ngunit masasabi ko na may pamilya ako sa pulitika. Yan ang Ang Kapatiran Party, at fully supportive sila sa ginagawa ko.

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Q: Saan ka lumaki nicky?

A: Actually lumaki ako dito sa Quezon City, sa Roces Avenue. Kami yung unang bahay dun sa subdivision na ‘yon sa Roces Avenue. Ngayon, of course, puno na ng bahay.

Q: Pero hindi ba taga Iloilo kayo?

A: Oo. Actually, dalawang parents ko taga-Iloilo. Every summer, pumupunta kami sa Iloilo kaya marunong akong magsalita ng Ilonggo. At the same time lumaki ako sa Manila.

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Q: Noy, nung ipinanganak ka, ano yung earliest memory mo of your childhood?

A: Siguro yung my birthday parties. Yun parang first, siyempre, sarap yung pagkain, lahat type mo, yung puro games, and then, I think, both of our parents were really very hands-on parents. (CLL: Ah talaga?) Yung trips to Baguio, for instance, in Easter. Yung, one time, we came from Mass, then my dad stopped the car, I think that was Wright Park. Tapos there’s this guy in a horse, who was going home already, pinakiusapan, so everybody watched me riding muna for like, five, ten minutes also. And then of course, the rest of our family. My mom, my sisters, were all in the car waiting for me to finish. Pero yun, sabi, “Gusto mong mangabayo?” Sabi ko, “Oo.” Tapos sabi, after a while, sabi, “Ops, halika na dito, tama na yan. Uwi na tayo.” Yung sibling rivalry siguro also, kasi four girls, one boy.

Q: May sibling rivalry?

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Q: Manny, sa’n ka pinanganak at circumstances of birth?

A: Well, pinanganak ako dun sa Moriones, Manila. Mahirap lang kami. Squatter kami nung araw (CLL: Squatter?) Oo, hindi sa amin yung bahay. Talagang nakiki-squatter lang kami. And isang kulambo lamang kami, isang banig at siyam kasi kami so tabi-tabi kami. Kaya pag nahuli ka, baka wala ka nang lugar. Halos lahat kami doon ipinanganak kaya lang sunud-sunod kami. Kaya siguro nabibigatan din yung nanay ko at tatay ko every year, yung pagitan namin. Siyam na anak. And du’n na rin ako nag-aral, sa Tondo.

Q: Yung nanay mo, anong trabaho niya?

A: Ang nanay ko, nagtitinda ng hipon sa palengke. Kasi, hipon lang kasi du’n sa palengke may kanya-kanyang lugar eh. May lugar na hipon, may lugar na isda. So, du’n kami sa hipon. May puwesto siya. Tapos, pagka-ano, alas-onse ng gabi, gumigising na siya, kasama ako. Ako yung parang ano niya…

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Q: Sa’n ho kayo pinanganak?

A: Pinanganak ako sa Manila Doctors Hospital. Naalala ko pa yung isang madre dun na naging very familiar sa aming lahat ng magpipinsan, si Sister Tekla ang pangalan. (CLL: Bakit?) masarap hong magluto ano, pag nako-confine kami nung araw siya ang nag-aalaga. Then naalala ko nakikita ko na may sakit sa Bagiuo na after. Manila Doctors Hospital ho kami ipinanganak, Dr. Constante Manahan ho ang nag-deliver sa aming halos lahat (CLL: sosyal na doctor ano).

Q: So masasabi natin dun sa inyong, nung binasa namin yung biography niyo, kayo ho ay pinanganak sa isang respetado, mayaman at tini-tingalang pamilya. Ito ho ba ay tumatak sa inyong kaisipan at sa inyong paglaki?

A: Siyempre po maraming pribilehiyo ho ang nabuksan sa akin, lalong-lalo na hindi po ako kailangang mag-aalala kung san ako kukuha ng pangmatrikula or baon araw-araw. Ngunit ako po’y may isang ama na hindi naman lumaki ng ganun, siya po’y hindi kasing palad ng aking ina. Dumaan po ng giyera at malaking pamilya na hindi naman may kakayahan so alam din ng tatay ko ho yung only child syndrome, so naging istrikto, nakikita niya yung nangyayari minsan so naging istriktong-istrikto ho yung tatay ko sa akin.

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Q: Chiz, pakikwento sa amin mula sa umpisa. Saan ka ba pinanganak?

A: Pinanganak ako sa Maynila. Ang nanay at tatay ko, ang pangalan Evelina at saka Sonny Escudero. Evelina Guevara ang pangalan ng nanay ko bago sila kinasal. Pangalawa ako sa tatlong magkakapatid.

Q Tatlo lang kayo? Ikaw lang ang lalaki?

A: Middle child without the syndrome.

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