"Letty a resolute leader and generous mentor"

Senate President Franklin M. Drilon today filed a resolution expressing the Senate’s profound sympathy and sincere condolence on the death of esteemed journalist and long-time editor in chief of the Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI), Letty Jimenez-Magsanoc. 

In his proposed Senate Resolution, Drilon hailed Magsanoc, who was at the helm of the PDI for 24 years, as “a resolute leader and a generous mentor to her colleagues in the profession.”

“Magsanoc’s commitment to responsible, complete and fair reporting, regardless of the risks and hazards such vow entails, cultivated higher ethical standards in the field of journalism and fostered a steadfast pursuit for the truth,” Drilon said. 

Considered as one of the country’s most accomplished  journalists, Magsanoc’s career spanned several decades, beginning with her stint as a writer for the Manila Bulletin in 1969. She worked for various publications like the Philippine Panorama (1976-1981) and Mr. & Ms. Special Edition (1983-1986) before she co-founded the Philippine Daily Inquirer in 1985, which she had served as editor-in-chief since 1991.  

Drilon noted that Magsanoc’s contributions to Philippine journalism merited her numerous awards and citations, including “The Star of Asia”, 25 Business Week International Magazine (2000), “Marcelo del Pilar Journalism Award for Print”, Rotary Club of Manila (2000), “60 Years of Asian Heroes”, Time Magazine International (2006), and “Journalist of the Year”, 19th Rotary Club of Manila Journalism Awards (2015). 

Apart from her excellent record as a journalist, Drilon said that Magsanoc also “stood as a prominent sentinel of press freedom who actively resisted any form of undue suppression in journalism and bravely wielded her pen to expose the truth, despite the perils of such a courageous stance.”

During the Marcos regime, Magsanoc became known for her forced resignation as editor-in-chief of the Panorama, due to writing defiant articles critical of the government. The event became one of the highlights in the anti-dictatorship and press freedom movements of the 1980’s. 

“Her fearlessness inspired colleagues in the profession whose collective efforts set off a series of events that precipitated the country’s freedom from the clutches of a dictatorial government,” Drilon said. 

The Senate will adopt the resolution when it resumes session next month, a copy of which will be presented by the Senate to the late journalist’s family.