Roy Acosta, former PDI editor, 75

Roy Acosta

Rosauro “Roy” Acosta, former Inquirer managing editor, died on Friday, Aug. 4, at the Philippine Heart Center of a lingering illness. He was 75.

His body was cremated. Wake for the veteran journalist is at Funeraria Paz on Araneta Avenue in Quezon City. Interment is on Aug. 8 at the Himlayang Pilipino.

He left behind his wife, Carmelita del Mundo Acosta, daughter-in-law Mabel and granddaughters Xeres Jasmine and Xeleena Jordan.

His only child, Ceferino “Nonoy” Acosta, who was also a journalist, died in 2012.

Roy joined the Inquirer as news editor in 1986. In February 1987, he was promoted to managing editor, a position he held until June 1991. As managing editor, Acosta presided over daily conferences in which editors assess the day’s news and plans for the next morning’s issue.

Former Inquirer chief photographer Ernie Sarmiento remembers Roy as “constantly hands-on with the staff and constantly giving instructions” through Johnny Villena, then chief photographer. Roy, as then managing editor, had direct supervision of the newspaper’s photo section.

He worked closely with then editor in chief Letty Jimenez Magsanoc until he left the company in July 1994.

Roy later served as executive publisher and editor in chief of BusinessMirror.

Prior to his Inquirer stint, he was a reporter in the Malacañang beat for the Times Journal in 1972 and later became the Journal’s assistant news editor.

Roy started out his career in journalism as a news writer of dzHP in 1964. He joined the Philippines Herald in August 1968 as diplomatic reporter, eventually becoming Malacañang reporter before being appointed foreign news editor. He left the Herald after it was shut down in 1972.

Acosta, from Bacarra, Ilocos Norte, studied at the University of Santo Tomas. —Inquirer Archives