One incontrovertible fact about the current pandemic is that so many community journalists have passed on although not necessarily due to COVID-19-related causes.
Still we will be missing them as friends, public servants and frontliners of the outstanding kind. Many of them accomplished celebrity status as millions of people listened, read, watched and believed what they said on the current state of affairs in our community. However most of them remained humble and unaffected, only a few who can be counted by fingers of one hand became swell-headed and arrogant.
Among those who have gone to the great beyond since the start of the pandemic sometime in January 2020 were local broadcasters Maximo “Dodong” Solis of Radyo ni Juan, Rey Indig, Andy Javier of the old DXMT, Antonio H. Vergara of Bombo Radyo, Jun Gutierrez of Radyo Ukay, Bobby Mahinay and Rogelio dela Cruz a.k.a. Skippo Jack.
Print media persons who also died were Glorioso “Boy” Manigbas, Jose Jison, Marissa Te Eng Fo, Cha Monforte, Rolando Dinoy, Fred Alonso and Edgar ‘Doc Alternatibo’ Delibo.
Of course, the deceased media persons from the nation’s capital and other parts of the country who died of the COVID-19 and other causes during the pandemic are not included in this list.
We pray for the eternal repose of their souls. Requiescat in pace.
