Balancing act

VICKY Morales

Turning the tables on the interviewer, GMA 7 news anchor Vicky Morales asked: “Do I sound biased when I do the impeachment analysis?”

Morales, who anchors the late-night newscast “Saksi” and hosts the weekly public-service show “Wish Ko Lang,” was recently assigned to cover the impeachment trial of Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona for GMA News TV (which airs from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. every time there’s a session).

“I’m very careful,” she proceeded. “I try to get the opinions of as many people as possible. I do a lot of research. I read all the newspaper accounts. I want to know as much as I can about the subject before going on air.”

One person she can’t rely on for input is her husband, lawyer King Reyno. “He doesn’t comment. He says the network has enough resource people.”

She admitted that the hearings could take its toll on anyone. “There are good and bad days. If [senator-judge] Miriam Defensor-Santiago were absent and it’s all technical stuff, things could get slow. There are days that are interesting and days that are boring.”

In the interest of full disclosure, she volunteered: “Cristina Corona, the wife of the Chief Justice, was my psychology teacher at the Ateneo. She was nice to me. Some members of the prosecution team are my friends. But as anchor, I have to balance things.”

The process often leads her to ask: “Why does justice have to be so complicated?”

Speaking of complications, she feels for “Saksi” coanchor Arnold Clavio, who recently got embroiled in a maelstrom of controversy due to remarks made about the national football team, the Azkals. (Arnold questioned the Filipino heritage of team members, after they got slapped with a sexual harassment charge. Some Azkals fans then accused Arnold of racism.)

She explained that her coanchor was simply being consistent. “He has always been outspoken. That’s why he’s successful as a commentator.”

She called on “all parties to show restraint”—whether pro- or anti-Azkals.

“Arnold was really affected by the negative posts on Twitter,” she said. “There’s a lesson to be learned here. As the network’s Internet campaign states: ‘Think before you click.’ You should also think before you speak. It’s a healthy exercise for everyone.”

She takes a break from heavy news with the one-year-old program “Good News ni Vicky Morales” on GMA News TV.

In this show, she gets to tackle concerns that are close to her heart as a working mom. “We give cost-cutting tips to homemakers and air feel-good stories.”

One tip she can benefit from is the art of time management.

She admitted that her daily schedule had gone berserk, especially since the start of the impeachment hearings.

“My husband and I don’t even have breakfast together anymore,” she related.

A recent incident broke her heart: “My son Pipo was kissing and hugging the television set while I was onscreen. That was the only time he saw me that day.”

The Reynos have three kids: the twins Leon and Pipo, 4; and Daniella, 1 1/2. “Weekends are sacred and reserved exclusively for my family,” she said firmly.