Former sports commissioner, political PR Eric Loretizo, 56

BACOLOD, Philippines – Former sports journalist Eric Loretizo, who served as a commissioner of the Philippines Sports Commission and public relations specialist for an array of Negros Occidental politicians died of cardiac arrest at the Bacolod Adventist Medical Center on Saturday, December 31.

Loretizo, the son of the late Antonio Limos Loretizo and Edith Tenerife, was a PSC commissioner from December 2007 to July 2010 and represented the country in the 2008 4th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)  Paralympic games in Thailand. 

He was also the deputy secretariat head of Team Philippines in the 2008 Southeast Asian games in Thailand.

Before joining the PSC, he was secretary general for the Bacolod ASEANgames organizing committee from 2003 to 2006. 

The country hosted the 2005 games in several provinces, including Cebu, Negros Occidental, Cavite, Zambales, Laguna and Pampanga, outside of Metro Manila.

He was assigned from June 2006 to January 2007 as the Philippine olympic sports ambassador to the 15th Asian Games in Doha, Qatar.

Loretizon studied mass communications at then De La Salle Bacolod and the University of Negros Occidental Recoletos.

From 1988 to 1991, he was a news anchor and news editor of GMA TV 10 Bacolod.

He held the post of sports editor of The Visayan Daily Star from 2001 to 2004 but also served as public relations chief of then Bacolod lone district representative Monico Puentebella from 2000 until 2007.

From 2012 to 2019, he was one of the executive assistants of Negros Occidental Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. 

His other former clients include former Cadiz 2nd district representative and now Mayor Salvador Escalante Jr., former Sagay mayor and now 2nd district representative Alfredo Marañon III, former 2nd district representative and now Sagay vice mayor Leo Rafael Cueva, and Bacolod representative Greg Gasataya, the former ally of Loretizo’s main client in 2022 elections, former Bacolod mayor Evelio Leonardia.

Loretizo volunteered his services for then vice president Leni Robredo’s 2022 presidential campaign.

He is survived by eight brothers and sisters. – Rappler.com