I got a text message this morning from friends at Pinoy Weekly and the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) that Bayani Abadilla died due to a lingering illness and that the wake will be at Funeraria Paz starting today (May 15).

Please find below the formal announcement from Pinoy Weekly:

Pumanaw na si Bayani “Ka Bay” Abadilla, associate editor ng Pinoy Weekly, manunulat, kritiko at propesor sa Politeknikong Unibersidad ng Pilipinas. Si Ka Bay ay beterano ng First Quarter Storm at lumaban sa diktadurang Marcos. Sa pamamagitan ng kanyang mga tula, kuwento, sanaysay at kolum, naging masugid na kritiko ng namamayaning kaaysang panlipunan at tagapagtaguyod ng interes ng inaaping sambayanan si Ka Bay. Hanggang sa huling sandali, matapang niyang nilabanan ang sakit na lymphoma.

Sa Funeraria Paz ang burol ng kanyang labi simula ngayong araw.

Incidentally, Ka Bay’s collection of poems titled Sigliwa Kamao was launched last November 18, 2006. The small photograph above shows him speaking during the launch held at Popular Book Store in Quezon City.

For those who want to go to the wake, Funeraria Paz is located at 143 G. Araneta Avenue cor. Kaliraya Street, Quezon City.

Joy and I express our condolences to the family of Prof. Abadilla who I met a long time ago, even before Pinoy Weekly was established in 2001.