Bayani San Diego Jr. PHOTO from Bayani San Diego’s Facebook
Inquirer Entertainment journalist and writing editor Bayani “Tonton” San Diego Jr. died on Wednesday morning due to cardiopulmonary attack, according to his family. He was 48.
“He was a workaholic. He was always on his computer, typing away,” Bayani’s eldest sister, Sonia, told the Inquirer.
“There was no sign that he was feeling ill the day before. He even did his laundry and his usual walk around our subdivision,” she added.
San Diego joined the Inquirer in April 2005 as a reporter tasked with covering local and international show biz events. He was recently promoted to writing editor.
He had interviewed many celebrities for his stories and was particularly interested in the independent filmmaking scene.
Sonia said Bayani was supposed to leave for Japan on an 8:20 a.m. flight on Wednesday to attend the 2018 Tokyo International Film Festival.
She said she tried to wake him up by knocking on his bedroom door. Getting no response, she forced the door open 10 minutes later.
San Diego was taken to Perpetual Help Medical Center in Las Piñas City where doctors “performed all the necessary means to revive him. They later declared ‘no more,’” Sonia said.
He was pronounced dead at 6:10 a.m.
“He was talking on the phone with someone about his Japan trip when I last spoke with him. I don’t know who that was,” Sonia recalled. “It was all so sudden.”
San Diego is survived by sisters Sonia, Wilma and Gina. His remains lie at Funeraria Filipinas in Pamplona Uno, Las Piñas. Interment was tentatively scheduled for Oct. 28.