Jose Jaime “Nonoy” Espina speaking out against charter change at a rally in Bacolod City in 2018. contributed
BACOLOD CITY — Journalist Jose Jaime “Nonoy” Espina, 59, succumbed to liver cancer at 9:20 p.m. on Thursday (July 7).
The former National Union of Journalists in the Philippines (NUJP) chairperson, and INQUIRER.net editor, died in his sleep surrounded by family members at their home at Capitol Heights, Barangay Villamonte, Bacolod City, according to his sister Mate Espina.
A copy of the statement posted on Facebook by his sister and fellow journalist Inday Espina-Varona said Nonoy recently recovered from severe COVID-19.
He is survived by his wife, Leny, and children Liway and Daki.
Varona said there will be no wake for her brother as Bacolod remains under a general community quarantine. However, details of a possible memorial would be announced soon, she said.
“Paalam, Nonoy Espina. Till we meet again. The whole family — wife, Leny Rojo Espina, his children Mayumi Liwayway Rojo Espina and Daki Ojor Espina, his siblings, nieces and nephews and grand nieces and grand nephews — wish to tell relatives and friends, and colleagues, that Nonoy (Jose Jaime Llavore Espina) passed on peacefully, quietly surrounded by family tonight, at 9:20,” the family said.
“Nonoy, a veteran journalist and fierce advocate of freedoms and human rights was 59. He had just turned over chairmanship of the [NUJP] earlier in the year. We are grateful that Nonoy survived a severe infection of COVID-19 and was able to return to the bosom of the family. His death was due to liver cancer,” the family added.