Here’s a video of Abby prepared by John Silva: files.me.com/jsilva79/jazq9h
When I opened my email, I saw a mail from writer John Silva, also informing friends of Abby’s death.
Abby is a Singaporean journalist and has been writing on the Philippines since the 70’s. She covered for Singapore Straits Times and later for other international publications like the Christian Science Monitor, the country’s struggle to restore democracy since the Marcos years. The Philippines has become “home” for Abby.
John and Maan were two of Abby’s closest friends who gave her constant company in the last four years that she was battling cancer.
In his email, John related, “Last Wednesday, she (Abby) declared she wanted to go to hospital, no more life supports, just the morphine drip.
“Once she was on the drip, it was difficult for her to have a conversation, she slept most of the time, but she was no longer in the excruciating pain she was suffering. She recognized us in those brief moments she was alert. She still had a smile for us this morning.
“You all know her to be very decisive and strong willed. Until the end she was that.