Ex-STAR columnist Pedrosa writes 30

MANILA, Philippines — Journalist and author Carmen Navarro Pedrosa, former STAR columnist, passed away yesterday. She was 80.

Pedrosa wrote a weekly column for The Philippine STAR, From A Distance, from 1987 up to 2019.

She wrote a series of best-selling unauthorized biographical books on Imelda Romualdez Marcos, the widow of dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. and mother of president-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

She was an advocate for Charter change toward a shift from a bicameral form of government to unicameral or parliamentary form of government. She was co-convenor of the Coalition for Constitutional Change.

Pedrosa started her career as a journalist in 1958 as a reporter for the now-defunct Manila Chronicle, starting in the police and health beats, and then moving up to cover foreign affairs. She became assistant editor of the Chronicle Magazine in 1960.

Pedrosa went into exile in London for 20 years after writing the first of her books on Mrs. Marcos, “The Untold Story of Imelda Marcos” which was originally published in 1969 and was banned by the government during martial law that was declared by Marcos Sr. in September 1972.

She wrote a follow-up book, “The Rise and Fall of Imelda Marcos” in 1987 following the ouster of Marcos in the 1986 EDSA People Power revolt. In 2016, Pedrosa came out with a third biographical book, “Imelda Romualdez Marcos: The Verdict” which was semi-autobiographical as it featured her account of events during the New York trial of Mrs. Marcos, which ended with an acquittal. Pedrosa was appointed by then president Benigno Aquino III as Philippine government representative and spokesperson at the trial in New York.

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR), where Pedrosa sat as a member of the board of directors, expressed its sadness on her death.

Pedrosa was appointed to the PAGCOR board by President Duterte on July 1, 2016.

Broadcast journalist Veronica Pedrosa, who was a news anchor on CNN International and BBC World, is her daughter.