Igan Arnold ever ‘on alert’

MANILA, Philippines - The role of CCTV cameras takes the spotlight in Arnold “Igan” Clavio’s brand-new GMA 7 show titled Alisto!, which debuts tomorrow, March 23 at 4 p.m.

Alisto! airs shocking videos of crimes, felonies, tragedies and other documented hazards as captured by the CCTV, side-by-side with tips on how to handle or prevent threats to one’s safety and security. The program also aims at imparting lessons on what to do, what not to and how to think on your feet when witnessing or being thrust in a dangerous situation. 

The CCTV footage are obtained from the police and the MMDA, with others downloaded from YouScoop (the Kapuso network’s citizen journalism platform). The show is actually a spin-off from a segment in his (temporarily cancelled) show Rescue. “We realized that the segment had a following and had helped a lot of people, so we thought of extending it (into an entire show),” said Arnold in an interview last Wednesday. 

He added that in Alisto!, they do follow-up operations, as in what they did in Rescue. For its pilot episode, Alisto! tells the harrowing story of a road accident that occurred in Pangasinan after a commuter bus lost its brakes. Among the other features are the modus operandi wherein children are manipulated and used as accomplices to crimes, as well as hair-raising spouse-and-girlfriend battery.

Alisto! makes the 47-year-old broadcast journalist, who has done over a dozen TV shows since he began his career in the early ’90s, one of the most visible and busiest news and public affairs personalities around. “I wake up at 4:30 a.m. for Unang Hirit, after which, I do my radio show (One on One with Igan) on DZBB, then tapings for Tonight with Arnold, Kandidato or llarAlisto, then I end my day with (the late-night newscast) Saksi. On my (easier days) like Thursdays, I spend time with the Igan Foundation. During my free days like Saturdays, I play golf or go on out-of-town trips or spend time with the family. I enjoy playing with my granddaughter. She’s two years old. She calls me Wowo,” shared Arnold.    

Speaking of Unang Hirit, we caught Arnold in one episode last week turning uncharacteristically emotional over a news report. Find out what it was, plus the other times he last displayed emotions and did other things outside his packed working schedule.   

On the last time he got emotional:

“The announcement of the new Pope. Hindi ako natulog, inabangan ko yun. We were on-call at that time. Sa bahay inabangan ko na yun para may masabi ako sa opening ng Unang Hirit. When Pope Francis came out onto the balcony, he appeared so peaceful. Then, when we presented the headlines in Unang Hirit and I saw his face again, so peaceful, I got teary-eyed. I tried to hold back my tears. I even joked about it with our priest-guest.

“Yes, I got affected because when he came out, parang na pi-feel mo yung presence ni Lord kasi ano naman ako… muntik na nga ako mag-pari di ba? Unlike (fellow Kapuso anchor) Mike Enriquez though, who really entered the seminary, ako sa screening palang di na pumasa.

“I don’t want to show my emotions on TV. The first time though was during my birthday celebration in Unang Hirit. May tinulungan ako nuon na may leukemia, her name is Nicole, she is the reason why I founded the Igan Foundation. I met her when she was still in elementary. Ni-report ko yun sa Brigada Siete, tinulungan namin at nag-fundraising pa kami. Nung gumaling siya, wala na akong balita except during special occasions when she would text me. Then the Unang Hirit staff found her and guested her without my knowledge. Dalaga na, she’s entering college, matalino and doing well. So, minsan yung emotions mo, di mo mapigil kahit anong gawin mo.”

On the last time he got angry:

“I get angry because I’m diabetic (hahaha). Pero minsan kasi may technical glitches on TV because we’re live. Mainit ulo ko pero gusto ko malaman ano ang nangyari. ‘Pag nasabi sa akin kung bakit, I let it go.”     

On the last time he got scared:

“Siguro yung sa anak ko nung nalaman ko na sinaktan. Binangga siya tapos binabaan tapos pinagsususuntok habang nasa sasakyan. (This happened last January and landed in the news). My son was telling him, ‘I will not fight, I will not fight.’ So the guy stopped. But he took my son’s iPhone and left and then a few days later, asked him to pay him P28,000 if my son wants to retrieve the cellphone. Sabi ko, bakit mo tutubusin yan eh sinaktan ka?

“Pinaasikaso ko pero di ako naka-front because they might say, media harassment. Pero mabait naman yung mga police, tinulungan, set up an entrapment and he was arrested. He’s Estonian. Tapos heto na, lumitaw na wanted siya dun sa Estonia. The process for that is to finish the case here first before he will be deported.

“Never ko naisip na, ‘media ka may influence ka’ because I never used that ‘media influence.’ So when it came to what happened to my son, we were ordinary citizens, planning as a family, talking about what to do, who to get as lawyer, you know decisions. Nakakatakot lang kung anong repercussions nun. At sana may natutunan din anak ko.” 

On the last time he received a “death threat”:

“During the Azkals issue, there were death threats. Maybe from fans.”

On the last time he took a break from his work:

“Two years ago because it was our silver wedding anniversary. We went on a cruise in Europe, spending seven days at the Mediterranean. Ang ganda! I met a lot of Pinoys, especially at the cruise ship. They even prepared a banner that said, ‘Welcome, Arnold Clavio!’ (Laughs). This Holy Week, we are planning to go to Legoland (Kuala Lumpur) with the whole family.”