One of the founders of the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP) died today after an illness.
Gabino “Gaby” Tabunar Jr. passed away at the age of 94 on Tuesday (Feb. 4) afternoon at the Makati Medical Center after a bout with pneumonia, according to a post on the group’s Facebook page.
Gabino “Gaby” Tabunar Jr. (Photo courtesy of Barnaby Lo)
He died peacefully in the embrace of his children after final prayers by a priest at the hospital, and after listening to his favorite song, “Summer Wind,” by Frank Sinatra.
“Even when he was in pain, he was very kind to the people who were taking care of him. He hardly complained - whatever pain he was feeling he kept to himself,” his eldest daughter, Mao, said.
“He loved his country and he had lots of hope for this country but sometimes muttered, ‘It takes a long time for us Filipinos to know what’s good for us,’” she said.
Mao is the eldest of Gaby’s five children.
The wake will be held at Loyola Guadalupe and friends can come starting Wednesday (Feb. 5) to be with his family and celebrate Gaby’s life, friendships, and advocacies.
Gaby was a true friend to many, a father, and mentor to countless journalists, and most importantly, one of the founders of FOCAP, which continues to be a vanguard of press freedom to this day.
Gaby and the likes of the late journalist Teddy Benigno, a former press secretary for ex-President
Corazon Aquino and bureau chief of Agence France Presse in Manila, founded the FOCAP in 1974 to fight for freedom of the press and civil liberties in the dangerous martial law era under Ferdinand Marcos.
Gaby was a long-time correspondent of CBS News and a pharmaceutical company executive before that.
FOCAP, according to information on their Facebook page, was founded in 1974 to “safeguard press freedom,” and consists of more than 50 international news agencies, publications, and radio and TV networks.
Interment details will be announced later.