ILOILO City – Ilonggo veteran broadcast journalist Fernando “Kapid” Gabio Sr. passed away on March 27. He was 71.
According to Gabio’s son and namesake Fernando Jr., his father died of stroke.
After suffering headache and dizziness, Gabio got comatose and eventually died while being treated at West Visayas State University Medical Center in La Paz district.
Born on Dec. 21, 1949, Gabio had been in the media industry for about 35 years.
Aside from being a broadcaster/radio block-timer, Gabio was once a columnist for the only Hiligaynon newspaper, Hublas nga Kamatuoran/Panay Balita, a sister publication of Panay News.
Gabio’s most recent job was as a job hire at the Iloilo City Hall, assigned at the City Environment and Natural Resources Office.
Details of his interment were yet to be announced by the family as this was being written.
In March 2, 2012 Gabio survived an assassination attempt. Two unidentified motorcycle-riding gunmen shot him multiple times.
He was cleaning his car in front of their house in Jaro district when the suspects fired at him, hitting him on a leg.
Gabio used to host block-time radio programs especially during election periods.
On Aug. 22, 2011, his co-anchor in a previous air time, Neil “Lito” Jimena, was murdered in E.B. Magalona, Negros Occidental by motorcycle-riding assassins.
Both Gabio and Jimena’s cases remained unsolved./PN