Olivares, founder of Daily Tribune, passes away

January 4, 2020

Ninez Cacho-Olivares, one of the top columnists during the Martial Law era and who later founded and became editor-in-chief of the Daily Tribune, passed away Friday of a lingering illness, the newspaper said.


Veteran journalist Belinda Olivares-Cunanan, her sister-in-law, said in her Facebook page death was caused by an aneurysm at the San Juan de Dios Hospital.


Her wake starts on January 4 at the Capilla de la Virgen, Santuario de San Antonio, Forbes Park and the funeral mass on January 6 at the Santuario de San Antonio, her niece Butz Olivares Bartolome said in her Facebook page.


Olivares, 78, drew a big following due to her biting commentary and using fables to criticize government officials. As editor-in-chief of the Daily Tribune, she put the paper to the printing press daily until recently.


Joyce Panares, news editor of the Manila Standard, said she never heard Olivares angry in the Daily Tribune newsroom. ''But she was firm in explaining why is the story like this? It should be this,'' said Panares.


Her last piece in her column, Frontline, came out on January 2 tackled a ban by the Philippine government on US senators from setting foot in the Philippines.


In a statement, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said ''the Office of the President is deeply saddened upon the learning of the passing of Ms. Ninez Cacho-Olivares.''


''She is known for her biting commentaries and insightful analyses laced with wit and sarcasm on government incompetence and corruption that provided probing and intellectual insights to her readers,'' said Panelo.


''We have lost a welcome hell of a journalist that struck fear in the hearts of corrupt bureaucrats and politicians with pretended nationalism as well as pseudo intellectuals who suffocate the air with her nonsense,'' added Panelo. DMS