FOCAP founder Gaby Tabunar Jr. passes away at 94

The Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP) lost one of its founders, Gabino "Gaby" Tabunar, Jr., on Tuesday afternoon due to a bout of pneumonia. He was 94 years old.

According to a FOCAP announcement, the veteran journalist died peacefully at the  Makati Medical Center after listening to the final prayers of a priest, and after listening to his favorite song, "Summer Wind" by Frank Sinatra.

"Gaby was a true friend to many, a father and mentor to countless journalists, and most importantly, one of the founders of the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines, or FOCAP, which continues to be a vanguard of press freedom to this day," the FOCAP wrote in a statement on Tuesday evening.

His eldest daughter Mao said he was very kind to the people who took care of him, even when he was in pain.

"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, in a statement.

The FOCAP added that details of his interment will be announced soon.

Tabunar, along with the late journalist Teddy Benigno, founded the FOCAP in May 1974 to fight for press freedom and civil liberties during former President Ferdinand Marcos' martial law era. Tabunar was also a seasoned correspondent of CBS News and a former executive of a pharmaceutical company. —Angelica Yang/LDF, GMA News