Ted Failon

Personal Information

• Full name: Mario Teodoro Failon Etong
• a.k.a.: "Ted Failon"
• Birthdate: March 29, 1962 (47 years old as of April 2009)
• Parents: Jose, jeepney driver; and Josefina, market vendor
• Spouse: Trinidad Arteche, 44
• Children: Katrina "Kaye" (eldest), Karishma

Education

• Elementary, Sacred Heart High School (1974)
• High School, Perpetual Help College of Rizal (1979)
• AB Economics, Colegio de San Juan de Letran (didn't finish)
• AB Mass Communication, Divine Word University (didn't finish)
• Broadcast Communication, Polytechnic University of the Philippines (1996)
• Law, Arellano Law Foundation in Manila (didn't finish)

Career

• radio and tv news anchor, ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp. (2004-present)
• Representative, 1st District of Leyte, House of Representatives (2001-2004)
• Executive producer and anchor, ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp. (1990-2001)
• Radio news manager, DZMM (1995)
• News desk editor, ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp. (1990)
• Program director, DWGV-FM, Angeles City (1988-1990)
• Station manager, DYPL-AM, Tacloban (1987-1988)
• Announcer and production head, DYPL-AM (1983-1987)
• Driver/reporter, DYPL-AM, Tacloban (1982)
• Worked as a disk jockey while studying at the Colegio de San Juan de Letran
• Worked as a room boy in Tacloban City while studying in high school; also worked as a waiter and construction worker

Issues • wife's alleged suicide attempt - Quezon City police charged Failon and five others with obstruction of justice before the Quezon City prosecutor's office on April 17, 2009, over the shooting incident involving Failon's wife, Trinidad. Trinidad was shot in the head in the Failons' residence in Tierra Pura Homes, Tandang Sora, Quezon City on April 15, 2009. She died in the hospital on April 16, 2009. Ted claimed that Trinidad had attempted suicide; she was already covered in blood when he found her. Their daughter, Kaye, stated in a media interview that Ted was innocent and that it was indeed a suicide attempt. However, police considered Ted as a suspect after noting what they said were inconsistencies in his and his house helper's statements on the incident. Police conducted a paraffin test on Ted at his home on the night of the shooting incident. He tested negative for powder burns. The police arrested the Failons' house helpers, who cleaned the comfort room where Trinidad was found before the police arrived in Tierra Pura. Police also arrested the Failons' driver, who washed the vehicle used to take Trinidad to the hospital. The house helpers and the driver claimed that they did it out of concern for the Failons' young daughter, Karishma, who would have been shocked at the sight of blood. Ted's sister-in-law, Pamela Arteche, was arrested at the New Era Hospital when she tried to stop the police from conducting a paraffin test on Trinidad. Trinidad at that time was still in critical condition at the hospital (a paraffin test on Trinidad conducted after her death showed that she was negative of powder burns). Pamela Arteche and one of the house helpers were released on April 17, 2009 due to insufficient evidence. • considered for the opposition's senatorial slate- Former President Joseph Estrada dropped the names of possible candidates in the opposition's 2010 senatorial lineup during a media forum a media forum at the Manila Hotel on April 13, 2009. Among those he named was Ted Failon. Sought by the media for comment after the shooting incident involving Failon's wife, Estrada issued a statement saying Failon continues to be in the list of possible senatorial candidates of the opposition. "The law states that a man is considered innocent until proven guilty; therefore the speculations surrounding the incident have not marred our opinion of Mr. Failon as someone who can truly represent the cause of the Filipino masses in the Senate," the statement read.