Passing of Isah Red, Mel Chionglo, Nelson Navarro mourned

MANILA, Philippines — Three luminaries in journalism and entertainment passed away over the weekend.

Show business mourned the passing of entertainment editor Isah Red and veteran filmmaker Mel Chionglo on Saturday.

The Society of Philippine Entertainment Editors said the entertainment industry would always remember Red for his “wit, candor, joy and love of life.”

Cultural Center of the Philippines artistic director Chris Millado announced Chionglo’s passing in a post on Facebook.                                       

Columnist and author Nelson Navarro died yesterday after suffering a stroke in his condominium in Makati.

Navarro was a former student activist during the Marcos dictatorship. He joined anti-government protests, which implicated him in the 1971 Plaza Miranda bombing.

During a student trip in the United States, Navarro was charged with subversion, which prompted him to continue studying at the Columbia University.

He had been in political exile for 17 years and returned to the Philippines in 1986.

Navarro had worked for The Philippine STAR, Malaya and Manila Standard.

The columnist was remembered by his contemporaries as a brilliant writer and raconteur.