“ONE of the brave few” was how the National Union of Journalist of the Philippines (NUJP) described Philippine Daily Inquirer editor in chief Letty Jimenez-Magsanoc who passed away on Christmas Eve.
“Letty will always be remembered as one of the brave few who, despite the tremendous difficulties, not to mention dangers, dared to insist on the independence of the press when the dictator Ferdinand Marcos decreed that its sole role was to sing paeans to his draconian New Society,” NUJP said in a statement on Friday.
NUJP recognized the contribution of Magsanoc to Philippine journalism as the Philippine media mourned her death.
“As editor of Panorama, the magazine of the Manila Bulletin, Letty oversaw the conversion of the publication from a dispenser of useless lifestyle fluff into a feisty journal that twitted dictatorship at every opportunity until Marcos eventually had her fired,” NUJP said.
In 1983, Magsanoc took the helm of Mr & Ms Special Edition, “one of the publications that became instrumental in pushing the depredations of strongman rule, which only the mosquito press had previously dared cover, into the mainstream of public consciousness.”
In 1991, Magsanoc became the editor in chief of the Inquirer, which eventually became the country’s leading newspaper.
With her at the helm, the Inquirer defiantly fought an advertising boycott called by former President Joseph Estrada in 2000.
“Letty has stood firm in the constant struggle for a free and independent press to her last breath,” the media group said.
NUJP said the examples of Magsanoc together with Joe Burgos, NUJP founder Tony Nieva, Alfredo Navarro Salanga, who refused to allow press freedom to be swallowed by the darkness of totalitarian rule, “that the tradition of independent Philippine journalism continues to thrive to this day despite the continued efforts, helped in no small part by official apathy and inaction, to silence us.”
“Maraming salamat, Letty. Mabuhay ka! Mabuhay ang malayang pamamahayag (Many thanks, Letty. Long live the freedom of the press),” NUJP said.