An untimely curtain call for Rico Yan
Maih Jongs
By Ricky Lo
The Philippine Star 03/31/2002
Tomorrow morning when you wake up and the sun does not appear... –
from the song I Will Be Here
For sure, the sun will appear tomorrow morning when you and I wake up.
But towards noon when, as a habit, you and I turn on our TV sets to
ABS-CBN's Magandang Tanghali Bayan (MTB), Rico Yan will not appear. He
died in his sleep early morning last Good Friday at the Dos Palmas
resort in Puerto Princesa, Palawan where he was on a Lenten break with
friends. He was 27.
When that sad/shocking news reached Manila three hours later, jolting
everybody from the soberness and solemnity of the day Christ was laid
to rest, the initial reaction was, "Oh no, it can't be true!" Contrary
to what everybody thought – "Please, God, say it isn't true!" – it
wasn't a cruel joke spread through texting. It was for real.
The Hunks – Diether Ocampo, Piolo Pascual, Bernard Palanca, Carlos
Agassi and Jericho Rosales – dissolved into sobs when they heard the
news while in San Diego, California, for their US concert tour. Pops
Fernandez, vacationing in L.A. with her children Ram and Robin, was
stunned when Deo Endrinal (ABS-CBN guy and manager of The Hunks)
relayed the news to her and Pops had to double-check with friends in
Manila before passing it on to Ruffa Gutierrez, also in L.A., and
other US-based friends.
Rico's ex-girlfriend Claudine Barretto, with whom he broke up barely a
month earlier, was in Subic with her sister Marjorie and her husband
Dennis Padilla and their kids when told, very gently now, about what
happened.
"Claudine just went blank," recalled somebody who was with the group.
"And then, she turned hysterical, prompting a doctor to put her under
sedation. When she woke up, she couldn't talk; she's in a state of
shock, so we had to bring her to the hospital."
It was, indeed, hard to believe that somebody as healthy as Rico, who
turned 27 only last March 14, would die in such a sudden manner. He
was at his prime, standing on top of the world, with his last movie
(with Claudine), Star Cinema's Got 2 Believe, smashing box-office
records when it opened in Metro Manila (and other cities throughout
the country). His other TV show (aside from MTB), the sitcom
Whattamen, was doing well at the ratings game. He was endorsing, along
with Whattamen and MTB co-stars Dominic Ochoa and Marvin Agustin, Talk
‘n' Text, among other products (he's also the image model for the
Molecules/Particles apparel, together with Claudine). He had
everything going for him, never mind if his four-year-plus romance
with Claudine ended on a sad note after the release of their movie.
When we last saw him last Saturday on MTB (which showed pre-taped
Lenten episodes from Holy Monday to Holy Wednesday), Rico was as full
of life as ever, giving no hint at all if he was bothered by his
break-up with Claudine. There he was, as usual, frolicking in a pool
with Marvin and Dominic and the rest of the MTB Gang in a continuing
summer special, lighting up the small screen with his boyishly
bedimpled smile that had endeared him to 72-million-plus Filipinos.
Who would have thought that that would be the last time televiewers
were seeing Rico alive!
Only 10 hours before he was found stiff at the loft of the cottage he
shared with Dominic (and his girlfriend Janna Victoria) and two other
friends, Rico was at a party, singing at a videoke to the delight of
his companions who never suspected that when they said. "Good night!"
to Rico at around 2 o'clock Good Friday morning, they were doing so
for the last time. As his Kuya Bobby confirmed, Rico was a snorer, so
he occupied the loft where his companions heard him groaning
(umuungol) at around 6 a.m. Thinking Rico was just, as usual, snoring,
his companions didn't mind him, letting him get some more sleep.
"At past 9 a.m.," said a sobbing Dominic, devastated by the tragedy
just like everybody else, "I told somebody to rouse Rico because we
were supposed to play pingpong with the natives. A doctor, who was
with his family in Dos Palmas, tried to revive Rico with CPR pero
hindi na siya nagising. He was dead on arrival when brought to the
Adventist Hospital in Puerto Princesa."
Rico's father Robby and his Kuya Bobby (they have two other sisters),
co-host of the ABS-CBN early-morning show Alas Singko y Medya, flew to
Puerto Princesa on a private plane owned by Meralco and ABS-CBN to
bring Rico's body to Manila, arriving after dusk at the Camp Crame for
the autopsy, results of which put to rest nasty text messages about
Rico's death which was caused by hemorrhagic pancreatitis (bangungot).
Rico's family made it clear that, contrary to rumors, there wasn't any
trace of drugs in his body.
Found undigested inside Rico's stomach was the seafood he had eaten at
the party. "He didn't drink too much," said one of the partygoers. A
little crack was detected in Rico's heart. He was suffering from
asthma, all right, but, according to Bobby, "It wasn't really that
serious."
Launched as a member of the ABS-CBN Talent Center's Star Circle Batch
1 seven years ago, Rico went on to star in TV dramas and movies
produced by Star Cinema, sister company of ABS-CBN, making his movie
debut in Radio Romance with Claudine as leading lady. They made two
other movies, Flames The Movie and Dahil Mahal na Mahal Kita, before
they became sweethearts, appearing together also in the ABS-CBN soap
Saan Ka Man Naroroon (with Diether Ocampo and Leandro Muñoz).
Rico was also paired with Judy Ann Santos in two movies, Paano ang
Puso Ko? and Kay Tagal Kitang Hinintay. Three years ago, Rico, Marvin
and Dominic were launched as the singing Whattamen which was
eventually made co-hosts of the noontime show MTB early last year when
Willie Revillame (forming his own zany trio with Randy Santiago and
John Estrada) left the show. Whattamen spun off into a sitcom
(Wednesday nights on ABS-CBN) a few months ago.
Well-behaved, well-mannered and well-loved, Rico was the perfect role
model not only for his colleagues but other people his age. He was
clean-living, well-bred and as reffreshing as the Eskinol Master Skin
Lotion which he endorsed when he was new in showbiz. Until recently,
Rico was a spokesperson for the youth, appointed by former President
Joseph Estrada.
With a Marketing/Management degree from La Salle, Rico invested his
earnings in business. At the time of his death, Rico was co-owner of
the Tequila Joe's Italian restaurant in Makati and sole owner of a
food business. Not many people know Rico was behind several charity
projects (unpublicized as Rico wanted them to be) and was on the final
stage of preparations for a Rico Yan Foundation to benefit the youth.
The last time I saw Rico in the flesh was during the shooting of the
ABS-CBN Saya ng Summer station I.D. three days after Got 2 Believe
opened to SRO crowds all over the country. As usual, the
physically-affectionate Rico was hugging everybody who was
congratulating him for being "The New Box-Office King," not letting,
as usual, the compliment go to his head.
Two weeks before that, six of us movie writers were in a huddle with
Rico at the Got 2 Believe presscon, teasing Rico that, since he
confessed to being a camera bug like his role in the movie, he should
shoot Claudine in the nude.
"It's not my cup of tea," said Rico, "maybe it's in my upbringing.
Some people may see ‘art' in nudes but I don't see it that way. I
don't appreciate nudes, they don't excite me at all."
Being a nature-lover, added Rico, he'd rather shoot (photograph)
eagles in flight and beautiful scenery.
"I love to fly, that's why I'm fascinated by an eagle in flight and
planes, too."
Wherever he may be now, I'm sure Rico is flying not only with eagles
but also with angels in a forever land where there are no intrigues,
no controversies, no cares and worries, no pain and suffering, but
only eternal peace and happiness.
OTHER ENTERTAINMENT STORIES
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• A landmark gets a facelift - By Ann Montemar-Oriondo
• From Goth to India - PLAYBACK by Juaniyo Arcellana
• MTV VJ Donita Rose in Young STAR Magazine's April issue
SURVEY
This Holy Week, I am going:
to the beach
on a retreat
to participate in church activities
to sleep and rest
MESSAGE BOARD
What do you remember most about Holy Week in the Philippines?
• I remember most the somber atmosphere, long and sad faces
compensated by searing heat of summer. All
• Doing the Bisita Iglesia with the whole family. Another very
memorable holy week is when we watched
• My mom forbid us all kids from doing major physical activities. Lent
is quiet...somber...time to
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