Jessica Soho’s greatest fear? That PH ‘may never rise from corruption issues’
Veteran broadcast journalist Jessica Soho may have been through a number of near-death experiences such as the detonated mine in Afghanistan, and her fair share of danger that journalists encounter in their line of work, but her greatest fear is something that most Filipinos could relate to.
During the press conference of “KMJS’ Gabi ng Lagim The Movie” on Tuesday, Nov. 19, Soho was asked about what frightens her the most in real life, to which she answered that it’s the country’s recurring political and economic problems that continuously threaten to overwhelm the people.
“’Yung nabanggit ko kanina ‘yung downward spiral, ‘yung magtuloy-tuloy ‘tong masamang sitwasyon sa ating lipunan. ‘Yung hindi tayo makahon, nakakatakot,” she said.
(What I mentioned earlier, the downward spiral, that this bad situation in our society might continue. That we may never rise from it, that’s frightening.)
“Sila ‘yung mga korakot okay na sila, they can leave anytime. Ang dami na nilang nakurakot na yaman. Paano naman tayo? ‘Yung mga araw-araw nagsusumikap mabuhay para sa ating bansa,” she added.
(Those who are corrupt are fine; they can leave anytime. They’ve stolen so much wealth. But what about us, those who struggle every day to live and work for this country?)
The award-winning journalist’s remarks came as the country is grappling with yet another scandal in government — the multi-trillion peso flood control anomalies.
Soho, whose eponymous program on GMA is launching her Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) debut, lamented that she has been a journalist for a long time and is still covering the same corruption and economic problems of the country from the 1980s.
“So nakita na natin ‘to noong 1980s. ‘Yung ang sama ng reputasyon ng Pilipinas, lumayas ‘yung mga investors, nagkaroon ng capital flight, bumagsak ‘yung ekonomiya. Nasurvive naman natin pero sana huwag naman na magkaroon ng round two, tama na,” she said.
(We’ve seen this before in the 1980s. The Philippines’ reputation was terrible, investors pulled out, there was capital flight, the economy collapsed. We survived it, but I hope there won’t be a round two, enough.)
“Kasi 61 na ako ‘yun pa rin ang mga kinocover kong issue. Sana naman nagbago, parang narecycle lang ‘yung mga issue noong 1980s, pahirap pa ng pahirap ‘yung buhay,” she continued.
(I’m 61 and these are still the issues I’m covering. I wish things had changed, but it feels like the problems of the 1980s were just recycled, and life keeps getting harder.)
Beast-mode on corruption
Soho also shared that if she were ever to get possessed by any individual, she would want to be possessed by the late Miriam Defensor Santiago.
“Kailangan natin ngayon ‘yon ‘yung nagagalit at nabe-beastmode tapos walang sinasanto, gusto ko saniban niya ako,” she said in response to another question from the press.
(What we need now is someone who gets angry and goes into beast mode and doesn’t care about anyone; I want her to possess me.)
Meanwhile, the veteran journalist downplayed the possibility of her acting on the big screen after the long-running Halloween special from her show “Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho” has been adapted into a movie.
Presented by Soho, the film features three horror stories inspired by real-life events and grounded in investigative research. The cast is led by Jillian Ward, Sanya Lopez, Elijah Canlas, and Miguel Tanfelix.
“Pocong,” starring Tanfelix, follows a cadet seafarer whose first voyage turns nightmarish after encountering hauntings at sea. It also features Kristoffer Martin, Jon Lucas, and Art Acuña, among others. The story draws from Indonesian ghost tales and Malay folklore.
“Berbalang,” on the other hand, headlined by Lopez and Canlas, centers on a corpse stolen from a town morgue, leading authorities to confront the possibility of a flesh-eating creature from local myth. The cast includes Rocco Nacino, Mikoy Morales, and Nicco Manalo.
“Sanib,” stars Ward as a girl possessed by an unspeakable evil. Martin del Rosario, Epy Quizon, Ashley Ortega, and Lotlot de Leon also appear in the film.
“KMJS’ Gabi ng Lagim The Movie” opens in cinemas nationwide on November 26. /edv
