MANILA (4TH UPDATE) - Pulitzer-nominated photojournalist Romeo Gacad has passed away, his family said Sunday. He was 62.

In a statement sent to ABS-CBN News, Gacad's family said the veteran photojournalist succumbed to "liver complications related to (gastrointestinal stromal tumor) wild type cancer." He passed away Saturday in Thailand.

"Many know our dad for living a fearless and full life. He met the cancer with the same inspiring energy," his children, Raha, Bianca and Sabrina, said in the statement.

Gacad, who had served as a chief photographer for Agence France Presse (AFP), covered the war and conflicts in the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

He set up the AFP photo division in Manila during the turbulent years of the Marcos rule in the 1980s, according to the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines.

Gacad has been a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize twice.

The first time was for a photo of Ben Johnson and Carl Lewis sprinting to the finish line in the 100-meter dash finals during the Seoul Olympics in 1988.

In 2002, he became a finalist again for the image of a lone Afghan fighter standing on a rock in Tora Bora, which appeared on the cover of Time magazine that year. This was according to FOCAP, which invited Gacad to speak at the organization's 7th Teodoro Benigno Memorial Lecture on journalism in August 2013.

Gacad, in an interview with I-mag Photography in 2016, described his work as "simple, lasting, can be easily understood, and will draw emotions,"

"It’s looking around for pictures and trying to create images that would give symbols to what are the current and raging issues," he also said in a 2009 lecture.

Gacad also covered the Rohingya exodus in 2015.

AFP said Gacad, who was already starting to make his name as a "highly skilled photographer" as part of the University of the Philippines' publication and as a freelancer, joined its Manila Bureau in January 1985.

"He was among a fierce and courageous generation of Philippine journalists who started out their careers exposing the human rights abuses under the Martial Law, and would go on to forge remarkable careers promoting democracy at home and abroad," the French news agency said.

"Endowed with a deep humanity, Romy was the kind of journalist to volunteer for any assignment, no matter how delicate, whether in the field or in the office," AFP's Asia-Pacific Regional Director Philippe Massonnet said in the agency's statement.

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"We call him Lord, short for Lord Gacad," said Jun Sepe, ABS-CBN News' Deputy Editor for Multimedia.

"It is not for some strange reason that he is one of the lords in Philippine photojournalism."

"Here is a shooter who stands out with his works. But more than that, he stands tall in the industry for being fair to everyone, newcomer or veteran, mainstream, freelancer or alternative," Sepe added.

“The journalism world lost one of its pillars in Romeo Gacad. Unlike many of us, he was calculating and exacted the most perfect shot, both out in the battlefield or life’s sprawling studious," the New York Times' Philippines correspondent Jason Gutierrez, who previously worked with Gacad, said in a statement to ABS-CBN News.

Gutierrez recalled their "second embed tour in Afghanistan" where, according to him, Gacad (or Tata Romy or Lakay to many of his colleagues) remained calm while others expressed worry.

"See the sunset, listen to the birds because there is art and life even in war, he said. ‘We are here to record life, to understand peace,’ he said. And for that one single moment, when the sun was about to set on the horizon, and the crack of gunfire in the distance, I understood more the meaning of our purpose as war correspondents," said Gutierrez.

"He was never afraid, if he knew he was in the right. Once, he admonished an Abu Sayyaf fighter for trying to get his scarf without permission. The chastised militant blinked first and left. That was in Jolo, two decades ago at the height of a hostage crisis."

Counting himself "lucky for having covered many events" with Gacad, Gutierrez described the renowned photojournalist as having "the analytical mind of a scientist in survival, and the oppressed’ sensibilities and honesty."

Pulitzer Prize winner Manny Mogato said Gacad "brought life to his pictures" from his coverage of "the Olympic Games, conflicts, disasters, civil unrest, diseases," many of which landed in front pages of global newspapers.

"He had captured people’s emotions - triumphs, joys, despairs, miseries, fears... We salute your work," Mogato, also a former longtime foreign news correspondent, said of Gacad.

Gacad was a "man of a few words who let his images speak the truth," according to FOCAP.

"He always executed the perfect composition, whether in the battlefields or in life’s sprawling studio, earning him two Pulitzer Prize nominations along the way," it said in a statement Monday.

"Always mindful that stories and pictures can change lives, Romy was exacting in his standards. He was humble, unassuming, and was the epitome of grace under pressure. While others chose to run, he carried on with measured and calculated steps."

The FOCAP mourns the loss of a "truly profound individual who offered sound advice to many younger comrades," it said.

"A mentor to many journalists, Romy taught invaluable lessons and offered a veteran’s insight, of slowing down and taking stock of the situation and reporting with care," FOCAP said.

"We not only lost a great photojournalist in Romy... As we mourn his passing, let us remember his favorite greeting – “Mabuhay ka!” - and realize that there is much more to live for as we carry on chronicling the news."

The Gacad siblings said their father "held presence and gratitude for the many wonders of everyday life" and "shared meaningful relationships with friends and loved ones, all across Manila, Jakarta, Yangon, Bangkok" where he had been posted.

"On behalf of our family - dad's siblings, the whole Gacad-Maniquiz clan, and our mother, Nida- we thank you for celebrating our dad’s life with us," they said.

"He lived a full life. We will miss you," Mogato said of Gacad.

"Romy, you will be missed terribly," added Gutierrez.

In his 2016 interview with I-mag Photography, Gacad referred to his body of work when asked how he'd like to be remembered.

"That my photographs told stories that changed lives," he said.

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