No farewell fanfare for F4 this time

Due mainly to the holiday season, the popularity of the Taiwanese pop group F4, seemed to have diminished as very few fans were around at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport to bid their idols goodbye as they left for Taiwan yesterday.

Jerry Yan, Vic Zhou, Vaness Wu and Ken Zhu left on two different flights for Taipei. Yan and Zhou left via China Airlines Flight CI-632, bound for Taipei, at 11:01 a.m. while Wu and Zhu left via Eva Air Flight BR-272 at 12:50 p.m.

The four were given VIP treatment, courtesy of Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) Assistant General Manager for Security and Emergency Services (AGMSES) General Angel Atutubo.

The F4 stars also had police escorts from MIAA’s Airport Police Department (APD). Eight policemen escorted both batches just before take-off. They were also escorted by MIAA employees, as well as private security men hired by the organizers.

None of the F4 members passed through the usual procedure of checking in at airline counters, Customs or immigration.

The four also passed through the ramp and not through the usual route at the NAIA Terminal 1 building.

They then went up the stairs beside the Dignitaries Lounge at the NAIA arrival level, before proceeding to Gate 3 where they stayed before boarding the plane.

In both departures, only about 20 to 30 fans, mostly employees based at NAIA Terminal 1, waved goodbye to the F4 members.

None of them waved back. – Sandy Araneta