Veteran photojournalist and reporter Recto Mercene passed away on October 2, his family announced. He was 77.
Mercene had been admitted to the Asian Hospital in Alabang since September 7 after suffering a fall.
According to an obituary posted by his publication, BusinessMirror, he was being prepared for release from confinement so he can get palliative care at home after doctors detected cancer spreading in his bone marrow.
He died peacefully in his sleep at 3 p.m. on Saturday.
“The man who spent nearly six decades soaring and roaming, in various incarnations of a traveler – first, as private pilot and air traffic controller, then as aviation reporter and photojournalist, and then as diplomatic and foreign affairs reporter – has gone on to the sky with no limits, where air traffic needs no controls and airplanes never have to take off or land,” BusinessMirror editor-in-chief Lourdes Fernandez penned in Mercene’s obituary.
“Fly high, idol, legend, role model for young journalists, friend of thousands, and advocate for ordinary folk –you are Philippine journalism’s irreplaceable treasure,” she said.
The legendary lensman was known for the iconic photo of Ninoy Aquino’s assassination at the Manila International Airport on August 21, 1983, with the former senator lying lifeless on the tarmac.
READ: Photojournalist Recto Mercene soars to the sky with no limits
Mercene was an air traffic controller and private pilot for 18 years before becoming a journalist.
“Forced to choose between his government job and being a reporter, he chose the latter. He told colleagues he never regretted it, because, throughout his rich, illuminating reportage on aviation for decades, his network of friends and sources, not to mention his knowledge in the field, served him in good stead in his job as journalist,” his publication wrote.
He covered aviation, defense, Malacanang, Senate, and foreign affairs.
“Recto wrote well because he knew his stuff. He wrote with passion because he deeply appreciated the life and work of people he covered – be they aviation employees from pilots to technical crew to air control personnel; to diplomats in the line of fire in conflict areas; or soldiers doing rescue; or even ordinary employees doing indispensable stuff in airports but are often overlooked or whose pay or benefits get stalled,” the BusinessMirror said.
Before his accident last month, Mercene was still dutifully reporting on the arrival of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccines at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
Mercene is survived by his children Danica, Recto II; grandchildren Yumilka, Zach; and brother Dante.
Source: Philippines News Agency
