A former UP journalism professor passed away earlier tonight after a bus rammed into the cab she was riding on her way to the Ayala Technohub in Commonwealth. The bus driver, still unidentified as of the time of writing, sped off. She was dead upon arrival at the hospital.

I still remember my early days at the College of Mass Communication, when I wondered why other profs referred to her as ‘Chit Estella’ when the class cards indicated her name as Prof. Lourdes Simbulan. I had heard of and read articles by Chit Estella, the famous journalist and editor whose byline was associated with The Manila Times and the Pinoy Times during Joseph Estrada’s term. But it was hard to picture the quiet, unassuming professor in charge of the newsroom classes as a tough-as-nails investigative journalist. I later found out it was her maiden name, although she still used it for her byline.

The news reports on her death still refer to her as Chit Estella, investigative journalist and founding member of the board of the Vera Files, but I’ll always think of her as Prof. Simbulan, the humble teacher who was always happy to help out a student, and never bragged about her impressive accomplishments. Rest in peace.