ILOILO CITY – Rommel Ynion, a businessman and former president of the Iloilo Press Club (IPC), is one of the latest casualties of COVID-19.
Ynion died Friday, September 3. He was in his early 50s.
It was only days earlier when Ynion posted on Facebook that he was infected with COVID-19 and was hospitalized.
Ynion was a controversial figure when he relocated to Iloilo City from Metro Manila late in 2010.
Ynion acquired the community newspaper The News Today. Previous to becoming a newspaper publisher, Ynion worked for Manila Bulletin and Philippine Star.
Ynion financed the construction of the IPC building in Molo district in 2011, but it remained unused even until today.
Ynion also opened a restaurant, a security agency and other businesses.
In 2013, Ynion ran for mayor under the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA). He lost to his erstwhile political ally and later archenemy, former mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog.
Ynion also unsuccessfully failed to win a seat in the Iloilo City Council during the 2016 elections.