Thanks, LJM, for letters

I DID not get to meet personally Inquirer’s late editor in chief Leticia Jimenez-Magsanoc, but I am sure she knew me by name since I regularly sent her my letters to the editor for evaluation in terms of clarity, length and relevance, and to ensure that my letters would be published as part of “balanced news and fearless views.”

My wife, Lalaine Jarabe Tamayo, wanted to meet her. Unfortunately, we did not see her during the 30th Appreciation Party last Dec. 5. I wanted to thank her for her help in publishing my letters in the Inquirer’s Opinion section.

I was shocked and saddened by the news of her passing. It’s a sad loss not only to her family, to the media and to the whole country. LJM, as she was known to many of her colleagues, was a voice of many Filipinos who were unheard of during the dark years of the Marcos regime. As a media practitioner, LJM left an indelible footprint in the field of journalism as a pillar of press freedom that our nation’s history cannot ignore.

I share the grief of her family, friends and colleagues in the media. I mourn the death of an iconic journalist. I will treasure my edited and published letters to the editor in remembrance of Leticia Jimenez-Magsanoc, whose gentle soul now rests in the bosom of God.

—REGINALD B. TAMAYO, assistant city council secretary, Marikina City