GMA News and Public Affairs said Mel Tiangco had nothing to do with the mix-up that happened during the outro for the Eleksyon 2022 coverage on May 10, 2022. We're sure you saw that viral video clip of anchors Mel Tiangco, Jessica Soho, and Mike Enriquez on social media and are wondering what's up. Bottomline: The missing "Walang Kasinungalingan" phrase in Mel Tiangco's closing spiels was not intentional, according to the news station.
Also read: The Spiciest Moments From Broadcasters During Election-Day Coverage
As in the usual order of their spiels, Soho was first to deliver the standard parting message of GMA News and Public Affairs programs: "Patuloy po ninyong maaasahan ang GMA News and Public Affairs sa paghahatid ng serbisyong totoo na walang kinikilingan."
Tiangco followed with : "...at walang pinoprotektahan."
While Tiangco was delivering her spiel, Enriquez could be heard saying "at," but quickly realizing he was out of turn, he stopped and let her finish introducing herself. Enriquez then proceeded with his standard lines and started again with "at" addressed to Kapuso viewers. Enrique apologized to Tiangco for cutting her off.
Folks online noticed that the "walang kasinungalingan" phrase was not mentioned by Tiangco. Some said the seasoned broadcaster looked dismayed the whole time she was delivering the spiels.
Some linked it to her mood during the network's special coverage on May 9. She trended on Twitter after pointing out COMELEC's slow response to concerns about its VCMs (Vote-Counting Machines). Even her facial expression has spawned memes.
To find out what really happened, PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) got in touch with GMA News and Public Affairs through the network's corporate communications department.
On Wednesday afternoon, May 11, 2022, PEP.ph received a reply, stating that the mix-up was a production glitch and was "not Ms. Mel Tiangco's fault."
The short statement read: "What happened was a production glitch, which happens to most live shows. It's not Ms. Mel Tiangco's fault.
"GMA remains committed to our mantra: walang kinikilingan, walang pinoprotektahan, walang kasinungalingan."