MANILA, Philippines — A senior journalist who also served as spokesman of the Social Security System was one of five persons killed in a Pasay City condominium Tuesday night by a man who went on a rampage before he, too, was shot dead by responding policemen.
Joel Palacios, 70, worked as a journalist for more than 30 years with stints as senior writer of Reuters and, at various times, sub sub-editor, editor or columnist in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Manila Bulletin, Today and Manila Standard.
He was also Philippine correspondent for the South China Morning Post.
From 1992-1996, he was head of the U.S. embassy press office. He was SSS spokesman and assistant vice president for media affairs for 15 years until he retired in 2012.
He also taught journalism.
