Conrado de Quiros (27 May 1951 – 6 November 2023) was a Filipino journalist, columnist, and writer who covered Philippine politics from the 1980s to the early decades of the 21st century.

Early life and education

Conrado S. de Quiros was born in

Manila Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...

on 27 May 1951. He grew up in

Naga, Camarines Sur Naga, officially the City of Naga (Central Bikol language, Central Bikol: ''Siyudad nin Naga''; Rinconada Bikol language, Rinconada Bikol: ''Siyudad ka Naga''; ; ), or the Pilgrim City of Naga, is an Cities of the Philippines#Legal classificat ...

, where his family originated. De Quiros took his secondary studies in the Ateneo de Naga, graduating as valedictorian in 1968. This enabled him to receive a scholarship at the Ateneo de Manila, where he was an Economics major at the School of Arts and Letters from 1970 to 1972 and a contributor to the collegiate publications ''Pandayan'' and ''Pugadlawin''. During the Martial law era, de Quiros and his family rented an apartment that became an underground refuge for cultural activists. At the same time, he worked as a writer for President

Ferdinand Marcos Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Sr. (September 11, 1917 – September 28, 1989) was a Filipino lawyer, politician, dictator, and Kleptocracy, kleptocrat who served as the tenth president of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He ruled the c ...

' speechwriter and spokesperson,

Adrian Cristobal Adrian Empremiado Cristobal Sr. (February 20, 1932 – December 22, 2007) was a Filipino writer who frequently touched on political and historical themes. Perhaps best known to the public for his "Breakfast Table" newspaper column, he was also ...

, during which he helped ghostwrite Marcos' book ''Notes on the New Society''.

Career

De Quiros started his column ''There’s the Rub'' in 1987 in the Philippine Daily Globe. In 1991, he moved to the

Philippine Daily Inquirer The ''Philippine Daily Inquirer'' (''PDI''), or simply the ''Inquirer'', is an English-language newspaper in the Philippines. Founded in 1985, it is often regarded as the Philippines' newspaper of record. The newspaper is the most awarded broad ...

, retaining his column until he took medical leave in 2014 following a stroke. His editorial writing was noted for his biting wit and subverting standard conventions. Writing in one instance on the presidency of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, he described the "true state of the nation" by filling the space with " Hello, Garci...", a reference to the scandal that plagued her reelection in 2004. Writing on what to expect from an administration led by Arroyo's rival, Fernando Poe Jr., he put a blank space instead. He also served as a host of TV5's news program ''TEN: The Evening News''. De Quiros also authored several books including ''Dead Aim: How Marcos Ambushed Philippine Democracy'', which covered the Marcos dictatorship; ''Tongues on Fire'', a compilation of his speeches; ''Flowers from the Rubble''; ''Dance of the Dunces'', a compilation of essays from his newspaper columns; and ''Honorary Woman: The Life of Raul S. Roco'', a biography of former senator Raul Roco. He also founded the Policy Review and Editorial Services (PRESS), a group which aimed to help non-governmental organizations get their stories across to the media and taught in the

University of the Philippines The University of the Philippines (UP; ) is a Higher education in the Philippines#State universities and colleges, state university system in the Philippines. It is the country's national university, as mandated by List of Philippine laws, Re ...

College of Mass Communication. De Quiros rarely answered local TV interviews in Filipino and for less than five times, he wrote his column using that language.

Death

De Quiros died on 6 November 2023, at the age of 72. His death was confirmed by his brother that evening.

Selected works

*''Flowers from the Rubble: Essays on Life, Death and Remembering'' (1990) *''Dance of the Dunces'' (1991) *''Dead Aim: How Marcos Ambushed Philippine Democracy'' (1997) *''Tongues on Fire'' (2007) *''Honorary Woman: The Life of Raul S. Roco'' (2015)

Selected awards

*Best Column, Catholic Mass Media Awards (1993) *Rotary Journalism Award for Print (1999) *Best Opinion Piece, Society of Publishers in Asia Editorial Excellence Award (2003) *Hall of Fame Award for Opinion Writers, Rotary Club of Manila (2004)

References