The College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP) mourned on Thursday, July 8, the passing of veteran journalist and media rights advocate Jose Jaime "Nonoy" Espina.

Espina, 59, died on Wednesday, July 7, after battling liver cancer.

As a journalist for over 30 years, Espina covered communist insurgency, human rights, internal displacement, and social justice in the country.

Espina chaired the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines for three years, where he was also among the founding members of the union.

"Sir Nonoy bravely faced the numerous threats that he and his colleagues received, and in fact, continued fighting, together with the toiling masses," CEGP said in a statement.

"He has championed many campaigns defending the freedom of the press. He fought hard against the social injustices since the Marcos dictatorship, unafraid of the Ampatuan Massacre perpetrators, determined to hold Duterte and his lapdogs accountable for denying ABS-CBN's franchise renewal, as well as the 19 journalists killed under this murderous regime," it added.

CEGP also considers Espina as "one of the courageous and militant journalists of his time."

"We will remember him as a determined journalist and a man of unbending principle: you never had any doubt about what he thought, what he believed, and what he stood for. He was substantial, consistent, and an impeccable man. And a good singer, too!"