Malacañang extended its condolences to the family and friends of veteran journalist Carmen "Chit" Pedrosa, who passed away at the age of 80 on June 8.
In a statement, Communications Secretary Martin Andanar offered prayers for Pedrosa, whom President Duterte appointed as a board member of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) on July 1, 2016.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the loved ones of Ms. Pedrosa as they find strength in this period of mourning," he said.
PAGCOR, in a Facebook post, expressed sadness about the passing of one of the members of its Board of Directors.
"Director Pedrosa, a well-known book author, and a celebrated newspaper columnist, was appointed to the PAGCOR Board by President Rodrigo Duterte on July 1, 2016. Until recently, she continued to write a column for The Philippine Star," the post read.
Pedrosa authored biographical books about former First Lady Imelda Marcos, including "The Rise and Fall of Imelda Marcos," first published in 1987, and "Imelda Romualdez Marcos: The Verdict" in 2016.
Her book "The Untold Story of Imelda Marcos," first published in 1969, was banned, forcing Pedrosa and her family to exile in London for 20 years. It became an Ebook in 2013.
She studied journalism at Thomson Reuters in London in 1963 and Japanese History and English Literature at the Sacred Heart International Tokyo from 1963 to 1964.