Death of a king

I can vividly remember almost one year ago to this day when Ronnie came to our People Asia Christmas party. That was really the first time I had the chance to talk to him from the usual "Hello-how-are-you". I met him many years ago when I was still in the broadcast industry through his sister-in-law, Rosemarie. Little did I know that one day he would run for president. During our Xmas party last year, he asked me if I could accompany him outside to smoke where I had the opportunity to ask him pointblank if he was serious about running for president. He said he really believed that he could make a difference for the country.

For four decades he had the following of the masses. He was their hero, their kasangga, the one who understood the plight of the underdog and did not hesitate to fight for them. I still think that if he had more political experience, he probably could have won. As a matter of fact, just recently after he was perceived to have lost, he told some people that he still had a lot to learn about politics. FPJ was the king of the movies, he wanted to be king, and a benevolent one, in real life. And in death, he became king of the poor and the masses. The multitudes of people who have so far visited his wake and are planning to do so is unbelievable. They expect two million people to attend his burial on Wednesday. One newspaper account said that a great number of those who lined up to see Da King were mostly the poor. They came in numbers and continue to grow. Today, 40 percent of our population live within the borders of the poverty line and the figure could very well rise to 50 percent or more because of our unchecked population growth. Clearly, out of the 1.7-million Filipino babies born every year, 80 percent are added to the D & E classes.

Everybody agrees that FPJ really had a good heart. People who knew him well say that that he didn_t have a mean bone in his body. There are countless stories of how he anonymously helped people. And there are so many stories coming out about how FPJ came to their aid. Without a doubt, he was kind-hearted and generous and as they say, _Only the good die young. It is really so easy to talk about how good a person is when he has left us. But there are some people who are vicious enough to use his death to foment political instability. FPJ never believed in violence. In fact, as he told a lot of people during the campaign and in meetings with businessmen, his vision was to unite the rich and the poor in solving the country_s problems. We can only hope that FPJ’s death will not be used to incite violence and polarize the people. Perhaps, GMA is sincere in trying to reach out but she was ill-advised to offer all sorts of tributes like naming FPJ a National Artist, awarding him the Medal of Honor, flying the flag at half-mast, and burying him at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. It is enough that as President she offers her sympathies and the government’s resources to assist the family in having an orderly burial.

In any case, the poor really looked up to FPJ as a role model of an Everyman/Underdog who stood up to the rich and mighty. The Americans had John Wayne. To the Filipinos, FPJ was more than an idol, he was an icon of deliverance. He was their only champion for a vicarious victory over those who lorded it over them. Like his father, he died early and unexpectedly. Facing adversity at the young age of 14 and losing their mansion on Roosevelt Ave., FPJ had to take on the role of breadwinner and followed after his father’s footsteps by leaving high school and going into showbiz. Perhaps, it was his father’s death that made Ronnie strive harder than most people. And that is why FPJ left a big mark in Philippine cinema and political history when he almost won. But his followers continue to believe that he had won refusing to accept that he lost by only 3 percent or a little over a million votes. Everyone especially those in the movie industry knew him to be a good man with a big heart. Some people had the impression that FPJ was aloof and reticent but when they got to know him they were immediately struck by his charm. Simply put, the man really had charisma. He valued his privacy yet he gave generations of Filipinos a role model they could emulate. It comes as no surprise that the masa are coming out in droves to pay their respects to their King.

Whether we like it or not, the man had an edge from having that kind of following from the masa who idolized him. Just like in the movies, they related to him as their only hope and as a result they considered FPJ and Susan Roces as their royalty. FPJ was King of the movies, in real life he wanted to be King of the people. And now in death, the poor have made him their King.

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Our hearts go to Joe and Gina de Venecia, whose daughter KC died in that tragic fire last Thursday night. There is nothing more painful than for parents to experience the loss of a child. I have met people whose children died and it is often said that the overwhelming pain they go through is simply indescribable. No one wishes it on anyone, not even to the worst of our enemies. Our deepest sympathies and prayers go to both Joe and Gina de Venecia for the horrible tragic loss of their daughter.

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