Salud to be interred today

The remains of former WBC secretary-general, PBA commissioner, Philippine Racing Commission executive director and Manila Jockey Club president Rudy Salud will be interred at the Sta. Maria Della Strada parish columbarium on Katipunan Road, Quezon City, today.

Salud, 72, passed away last Monday due to heart failure. He will be cremated at the Arlington crematorium on Araneta Avenue after the Requiem Mass at the Sta. Maria Della Strada parish church near his Loyola Grand Villas home at 8 this morning. Then, the remains will be brought to the parish crypt.

Salud’s wife Josephine, fondly called Pampin, has shown remarkable courage throughout the funeral wake. Her religiosity is the backbone of the Salud family. All seven children will be present for the funeral rites today. Daughter Priscilla arrived the other night from the US where she resides. Son Renato flew in earlier from Singapore where he is based as an expatriate executive with the UK global beverage company Diageo.

On the first day of viewing last Tuesday, a huge turnout was evident as those whose lives were touched by Salud came to pay their respects to a much-admired legend in Philippine sports.

Among those who visited were former President Fidel Ramos, Vice President Jejomar Binay, Rep. Henry Cojuangco, Rep. Rudy Albano, Rep. Luis (Baby) Asistio, Secretary Mike Defensor, Gen. Renato de Villa, Vice Mayor Nestor Mercado, Alaska Milk president Fred Uytengsu, sportsman Putch Puyat, consul Eduardo de Guzman, PBA chairman Rene Pardo, former PBA commissioners Sonny Barrios and Rey Marquez, Purefoods president Butch Alejo, Rain Or Shine team owners Raymund Yu and Terry Que, PBA alternate governor Robert Non, Jose Orillaza, former world boxing champion Gerry Peñalosa and wife Goody, boxing matchmaker Jun Sarreal, Talk ‘N’ Text coach Chot Reyes, Carlos Velez, Nazario Avendano, PBA media bureau chief Willie Marcial, Recah and Fe Trinidad, Chino and Babette Trinidad, Lito Tacujan, Jun Engracia, Jimmy Cantor, Jun Lomibao, Jun Navarro, Butch Antonio, Butch Maniego, Teddyvic Melendres and Ding Marcelo.

The outpouring of sympathy was more overwhelming yesterday. San Miguel Corp. chairman Eduardo Cojuangco Jr. and San Miguel Corp. president Ramon Ang came to express their condolences to Salud’s family.

Last October, Salud made a personal appearance at the Araneta Coliseum for the PBA season opening where his son Chito, the eldest child, inaugurated his initial campaign as commissioner. It was a proud moment for Salud, recalled his loyal assistant George Alcantara. “I think Chito has earned the team owners’ trust and confidence,” said Salud modestly. “He’s so much better than I ever was. I’m proud to know that team owners listen to Chito’s advice and recommendations. I’ve always told him that he should uphold the league’s interest above all else. No one can ever doubt his integrity, transparency and fairness.”

Chito is one of three sons, the others are noted ophthalmologist Dr. Arnold and Renato, both brilliant in their own right. It’s often said that the sons are cut from the same mold as their father. His daughters are Priscilla, Christine, Margaret and Annabelle.

Alcantara, who has stayed by Salud’s side for over 40 years, said the former PBA commissioner’s last visit to a cockpit was memorable. A cockfighting aficionado, Salud enjoyed watching the action with his friends and used to co-own a crack stable with the late Richard Bates. “It was at the Makati Coliseum last Feb. 3 and Manny Pacquiao, whom my boss admired very much, came over to greet him,” said Alcantara.

Salud, who would’ve turned 73 on Sunday, underwent a delicate heart procedure at Medical City last Feb. 28. It involved collapsing his lungs, cracking his ribs and taking out his heart to insert a “patch” wire into his implanted defibrillator. The objective of the surgery was to improve the heart’s ejection fraction or the fraction of blood pumped out of the left and right ventricles with each heartbeat. A healthy heart has an ejection fraction of 50-65 percent. Before surgery, Salud’s ejection fraction was about 15 percent. The procedure also included replacing the battery and generator of the defibrillator which was implanted five years ago.

The operation was successful and Salud’s ejection fraction was measured to have improved close to 30 percent. He was taken from the intensive care unit to a private room last Friday. Although in a lot of pain, Salud was conscious, sat upright on his hospital bed and spoke clearly up to last Saturday. Then, his heart rate dropped suddenly, triggering the defibrillator. Unconscious, he was brought back to the intensive care unit.

At about noon last Monday, while his wife was at Holy Mass in the Medical City chapel, Salud passed away. 

To honor Salud, WBC president Jose Sulaiman called for a three-day period of mourning in the boxing community.

What endeared Salud to those with whom he has worked was his sincerity. He wasn’t just intelligent, generous and insightful. Salud was kind-hearted, someone who always lent a helping hand, someone who inspired by example, someone who lived a Christian life to the fullest.

There will never be anyone quite like Rudy Salud. And that’s why he will forever be remembered.