ESTEEMED JOURNALIST Yvonne Chua, whose reports uncovered the unexplained wealth of former president Joseph “Erap” Ejercito Estrada, is now teaching at the UST Graduate School’s Journalism program.
The award-winning investigative journalist handles the data journalism course, Prof. Jeremaiah Opiniano, the head of the program, told The Flame.
Chua had her first class on Saturday, Aug. 15.
She was part of the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism’s (PCIJ) core team that traced $40 million in undisclosed real estate assets acquired by Estrada and his family members.
Some of the team’s year-long reports became the basis for three of the four articles of impeachment filed against Estrada. The former president was impeached in November 2000 and was ousted through the second EDSA People Power revolt two months later.
Chua wrote the reports with PCIJ co-founders Sheila Coronel and Malou Mangahas, Luz Rimban and Vinia Datinguinoo. Their stories on Estrada won first prize at the Jaime V. Ongpin Awards for Investigative Journalism in 2000.
Chua was one of the three journalists honored in the Hall of Fame for the Jaime V. Ongpin Awards for Excellence in Journalism. She was bestowed the honor after winning first prize in the investigative category three times in five years. These award-winning reports include a story on corruption behind public schools’ textbook procurement and another on Congress’s lack of accountability.
Her book, “Robbed: An Investigation on Corruption in Philippine Education,” was also a National Book Awardee for Journalism.
Chua served as the PCIJ’s training director and was one of its senior writers for more than a decade. She also edited the center’s guide on government reporting.
The veteran journalist also played key roles in various fact-checking initiatives, including the non,-profit media organization Vera Files and Tsek.ph, a collaborative verification campaign during the 2019 elections.
Chua now serves as a professorial lecturer at the University of the Philippines’ (UP) College of Media and Communication. She retired last year as an associate professor of the state-run university after serving for more than 30 years in its Journalism department.
Chua worked as the Commission on Higher Education’s technical panel member for journalism, broadcasting and communication for over two decades. She was also a member of the editorial advisory board of Asia Pacific Media Educator, the refereed journal of the School of Journalism and Creative Writing at the University of Wollongong in Australia.
Chua started her career in 1981 at the now-defunct newspaper Philippine Daily Express and also worked as an editor of alternative newspaper Ang Pahayagang Malaya.
She graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism in 1981 at UP and earned her Master’s degree in public management in 2010 with a special award for remarkable achievement. F
