The Editorial Team
Behind PressOnePH is a team of experienced reporters and editors committed to the cause of responsible journalism and the free press for the common good, and the fight against disinformation and propaganda.
FELIPE F. SALVOSA II is the Editor of PressOne.PH. He is a former associate editor and research head of BusinessWorld, a researcher for the Financial Times Group, and managing editor of the Manila Times. He teaches at the Department of Journalism of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) in Manila. He is the president of the Journalism Studies Association of the Philippines and a former director of the Philippines Communication Society.
NICEFORO VINCE “NIKKO” A. BALBEDINA III serves as the Multimedia Editor at PressOne.PH, where he oversees the site’s digital initiatives and the production of visual and audio content. Since 2024, he has led PressOnePH’s investigative reporting on influence operations, foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI), and disinformation, with his team’s findings showcased at both local and international academic and professional conferences. Nikko also serves as the Features Editor for CBCP News’ flagship publication, The CBCP Monitor. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Journalism degree from the Colegio de San Juan de Letran in Manila and is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Journalism degree at the University of Santo Tomas as a beneficiary of The Varsitarian Graduate Scholarship Program. As part of his graduate studies, he was selected to study in Poland as a scholar at the Akademia Kultury Społecznej i Medialnej (College of Social and Media Culture) in Toruń under the European Union’s Erasmus+ scholarship program.
NATHANIEL R. MELICAN is the Research Lead at PressOnePH, where he investigates and analyzes influence operations, misinformation, and disinformation. A former reporter for the Philippine Daily Inquirer and BusinessWorld, he now also serves as a journalism lecturer at the University of Santo Tomas, teaching both theoretical and practical aspects of the craft. He earned his Erasmus Mundus Master’s in Journalism, Media, and Globalisation—specializing in Business and Finance Journalism—from City, University of London (UK) and Aarhus University (Denmark) in 2019. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Santo Tomas, where he graduated in 2008.
CICERO “ROY” LAGARDE is a Senior Correspondent of PressOne.PH covering general assignments, and is a freelance documentary photographer.
APRIL FRANCES “SKY” ORTIGAS is the webmaster of Areopagus Communications, Inc., maintaining PressOne.PH and other websites.
The Correspondents
JOHN HURT ALLAUIGAN
FACT-CHECK RESEARCHER
John Hurt is a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism graduate from Bulacan State University. There he helped establish a fact-checking guidebook for campus journalists. He is also the lead data validator for Oculum Research and Analytics, and a communications instructor for Immaculate Conception i-College in Bulacan. He first joined PressOnePH as an intern in 2023.
LEIGH JENESSEN SAN DIEGO
FACT-CHECK RESEARCHER
Leigh holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Bulacan State University, where she co-authored the first fact-checking guidebook for campus journalists. She is a former campus journalist and intern at PressOnePH. Additionally, she works as a data validator for Oculum Research and Analytics. Aside from writing fact-check stories, Leigh assists in the creation of PressOnePH’s video fact-checks.
EARL JERALD ALPAY
CORRESPONDENT
Earl is a photojournalist and correspondent for PressOnePH, with his work featured across several news platforms, including CBCP News, Radio Veritas Asia, and Interaksyon. He previously served as a video editor and photographer for EWTN Asia Pacific and is currently the Head Photojournalist for the campus publication The Communiqué. Earl is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication at the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila.