DAVAO CITY—A veteran journalist looked up by many as their father in the profession succumbed to a “lingering illness” on Sunday.
Antonio Movera Ajero, 82, was chairman of the board of Edge Davao Review Publishing Inc. and and editor in chief of the local daily, Edge Davao.
In many posts among friends, associates and news sources, a common outpouring of comments was his fatherly mentoring through the decades and providing the opportunity to stay longer in the profession.
He was already a known fixture and icon in the local media industry, especially when he was at the helm at Peryodiko Dabaw, a competitor to the old newspapers in the city. The newspaper was later bought as the city edition of the national SunStar group of publications.
The SunStar Davao said Ajero, “who was called ‘AMA’ by his colleagues, also served as publisher and editor in chief of SunStar Davao from 1995 to 2002 and as the newspaper’s publisher from 2002 until his retirement in 2008.”
He was also a host of “Brainstorm,” a public affairs TV program in the city way back in 1987, said Peter Lavina, also a veteran journalist who later dabbled with political and government consultancy.
Ajero was a member of the Board of Trustees of the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. from 2015 to 2018. He was also a member of the Ambassador Club Davao, the affiliate of Ambassador Club International. He was once the club’s main speaker on its June 19, 2020 regular session.
He was born on March 22, 1946 and passed away on July 17 this year. His remains lie in state at the Cosmopolitan Parlor here.