Death brings out the best and worst

(First of two parts)

Death came in its usual threes last week in local show business:

Ram Revilla — the son of former actor and senator, Ramon Revilla Sr. and ex-starlet Genelyn Magsaysay in the dying hours of Oct. 28.

Ricky Pempengco — the father of Filipina international singing sensation Charice last Oct. 31.

Boots Plata — director, actor, who died of lung cancer (after going through several illnesses) last Nov. 2

While death is always tragic, its effect on the living comes in different forms and varying hues. Those left behind have the burden of coping with the loss and the accompanying grief and sadness.

Death draws out various emotions from the bereaved and shows the best and the worst traits of a human being.

In the case of Ricky Pempengco, the immediate aftermath of his death began with nasty bickering that mercifully turned into forgiveness and unity in the end between the warring factions — his estranged wife Raquel and their kids Charice and Carl and his sisters. The suspect in Ricky’s killing, Angel Capili, may eventually be forgiven by the family in time, but if proven guilty is still doomed to face trial and the sentence to be meted out by the courts. However, closure may not be far from the horizon. Even Raquel’s current misunderstanding with her own mother may one day end in reconciliation soon.

The death of Ram Revilla (Ramgen Bautista in real life) was the most tragic. It opened a whole can of worms and along with that the most mystifying twists and turns ever known by human drama.

The Ram Revilla case had evolved in a snap into the biggest police puzzle and the decade’s biggest telenovela awaited by an unbelieving public that waits out for daily developments that become more and more bizarre as these unfold every day — from the beginning and sadly may not even see an end.

I first heard the news of Ram’s murder on the radio in the early hours of Oct. 29. Although half-brother, Sen. Bong Revilla had already been swamped by media that lost no time in breaking the news publicly, he was responsible enough not to have confirmed immediately its validity — at least, not until he had seen the body.

Maybe in the deepest recesses of his heart, he was hoping this was not true — and the victim not his brother. The Revilla/Bautista clan may be huge, but I know the good senator cares for each one of the family members — if only to show his love and respect for their old man, Ramon Sr.

In less than 24 hours, Sen. Bong was already with me during a phone-patch in Startalk. You felt his grief, worry and confusion and you knew he was absolutely clueless about the origins of the crime.

When the police dragged the names of his half-siblings as suspects, he was just as baffled as the rest of us. Admirably, his integrity refused to disintegrate. Clearly, he did not take sides even if the case had already involved his loved ones. He only saw to it that the law was properly implemented.

This immediately reminded me of how did not play favorites in that messy video scandal authored by the inamorato of a lady friend, who had since dropped him and wife Rep. Lani Mercado from her social circle.

Sen. Bong is now in the news every day and we should worry for him — his health, in particular. His position is the least enviable at this very moment — torn between family and his being a lawmaker.

In Startalk last Saturday, I had to report about the internment of Ricky Pempengco from the Pasture of Heaven memorial park in Cabuyao, Laguna and had to be away from the studio. Ricky Lo was in Las Vegas for another Hollywood beat. Joey de Leon also had his hands full in the studio — handling the rest of the live segments.  

Charice and mom Raquel Pempengco are inconsolable at the burial of Ricky Pempengco. MIKE AMOROSO

When it was time to do a phone-patch with Sen. Bong still in relation to Ram’s murder case, the assignment fell on the lap of Lolit Solis.

Lolit, who takes pride in the fact that she is the only talk show host who gets a full salary even if her main concern every week is just to say hello and thank you in her greeting segment, finally had to perform serious work.

It was a difficult undertaking. Sen. Bong already had his phone-patches the previous night in both Saksi and Bandila. What else was there to ferret out from him?

 Surprisingly, Lolit was able to extract fresh and new pieces of information from her subject — putting to shame some of our award-winning news and public affairs anchors.

It was the most significant phase in Lolit’s entire television career that began in the ’70s when she sat as a regular member of the press panel in the See-True talk show of the late Inday Badiday.

Yes, I repeat, the effect of death on the living truly brings out the best and worst in everyone. On Lolit’s part, her handling of that delicate interview about a murder case involving deceit and betrayal proved to be her most shining moment.

   (Next: A celebration of life with the passing of Boots Plata.)