Leti Boniol, Inquirer editor and mentor to provincial journos; 75
Veteran journalist and Inquirer.net copy editor Leticia “Leti” Boniol died on Saturday due to a lingering illness. She was 75.
At the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Boniol served as desk editor for the former Across the Nation section (now Regions), helping shape regional news coverage for one of the country’s leading newspapers for 15 years starting in 2000. After her retirement, she joined Inquirer.net in 2017 as copy editor mainly in charge of stories filed by provincial correspondents, a position she held until her passing.
Before her time with the Inquirer Group of Companies, Boniol, a product of the University of the Philippines, served as editor and writer for several publications, including the now defunct Philippine News & Features and The Philippine Post, and The Manila Times.
Despite her illness, she remained dedicated to her work until her final days.
“Even after retirement, she poured incredible time and effort into her job as one of Inquirer.net’s news copy editors-at-large,” said Emmie Velarde, freelance writer and former entertainment editor at the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
“In March, when I visited her at a therapeutic center in Makati, she couldn’t get out of bed on her own—but she was still working. Weeks later, she remained seated for hours, editing stories,” Velarde recalled.
Guiding correspondents
On May 26, while confined at Chinese General Hospital in Manila, Boniol sent a message to her editor which she also shared with this correspondent: “Had to have transfusion of six platelets and three red blood packs. Bumagsak all of a sudden (Suddenly crashed)… I’m on pain treatment now… Other than those, I can work naman. Andito computer ko at 2 iPhones. Plus katulong (My computer and two iPhones are here. Plus, I have a helper).”
Delfin Mallari Jr., a longtime Quezon correspondent for the Inquirer, credited Boniol for guiding him in his news coverage.
“She made a lasting impact—not just in my career, but in my life… She became part of my family. I used to get nervous whenever she would call because I knew she found something wrong in [my] report,” Mallari said.
The last time they spoke last year, Boniol gave Mallari a piece of advice: “Take care of your health … before your work.”
For Juan Escandor Jr., another Inquirer correspondent based in Bicol, “Leti was a gentle and tough soul who guided me in my career as a journalist.”
“We became close friends since both of us shared the era of the activist movement in the 1980s. She never wavered in words and deeds [on] what a principled journalist must be. She was an example that inspired me to continue being a journalist and a writer,” Escandor said.
Former correspondent Clarice Colting-Pulumbarit said: “My face-to-face encounters with Ma’am Leti through PDI meetings and events were sparse. Yet through these and the everyday exchanges to get that story published in the minute space for provincial news and features, I felt her encouragement to forge on so that the narratives of the voiceless and the silenced can be heard through the mainstream press.”
“I distinctly remember her concern and stern reminder for me to be careful and stay safe when I was covering the forced evacuation of Mangyan communities in Mindoro Oriental,” she said.
Joanna Los Baños Apuli, former editorial assistant of the Inquirer’s Southern Luzon Bureau, first worked with Boniol in 2003 when she joined the Inquirer.
“Never impatient, always composed. Her voice still echoes in my memory—professional, kind, and firm in just the right way. I learned so much from her about precision, responsibility, and how to care about the stories we tell,” Apuli said.
Volunteer
The spiritual movement Brahma Kumaris, where Boniol was a student and volunteer, gave a tribute during her wake at Arlington Memorial Chapels on Monday.
“You were a constant presence—rarely missing our family gatherings—always greeting us with your joyful attitude and radiant smile… Your love for nature expressed itself so tenderly through your care for plants and animals… A courageous soul and beloved child of God—continue onward with unwavering faith and divine strength,” said Sister Rajni Daulatram, national coordinator of Brahma Kumaris Philippines and Japan.
Boniol is survived by her siblings and their spouses: Lita and Ruping Reyes, Estela and Robert Malabanan, Mario and Susan Boniol, Emy and Emer Marcos, Lucy and Jose Pontacaña, Jun Boniol, and Rey and Jean Boniol. She also leaves behind her beloved dog, Diego.
A wake is being held at Hall B of Arlington Memorial Chapels on Araneta Avenue, Quezon City, and will continue until Wednesday night (June 18). Cremation is scheduled for Thursday (June 19), after which her ashes will be brought to her residence in Bay, Laguna, where they will remain until Friday (June 20). —WITH A REPORT FROM INQUIRER.NET
