Video: Philippines in mourning over death of veteran broadcaster Mike Enriquez; President Marcos leads tribute

When social media posts about the death of veteran broadcaster Mike Enriquez cropped up on Tuesday, Filipinos wanted to believe it was all a hoax. After all, it wasn't the first time he was reported dead in a Philippine era where fake news was rampant.

Later in the day, it turned out it was true. One of the most respected personalities in the Philippine news industry passed away on August 29. He was 71.

Nearly everybody in the Southeast Asian country knew him — with generations of Filipinos growing up watching news shows he anchored, from the staple 24 Oras to the long-running news feature programme Imbestigador.

"We are saddened by [the] news of the passing of veteran anchor Mike Enriquez, a pillar in our broadcasting industry. He dedicated his life to delivering unbiased news to the Filipino people," Philippine President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr said in a post on X.

"Truly, his contribution to journalism will be unmatched," added Cheloy Garafil, secretary of the Presidential Communications Office.

Enriquez's home station GMA Network — where he had been working since 1995 — turned black on Wednesday as it shared snippets of the veteran broadcaster's stellar career on social media:

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