(First of two parts)
Dealing with the loss of someone who was idolized by many is never easy—more so when speaking of celebrities who left so abruptly and without warning and who had made a huge impact not just on their supporters, but also on the people whom they had closely worked with in the biz.
To commemorate All Saints’ Day this year, Inquirer Entertainment sought out a few show biz personalities and asked them which celebrity death had a major influence on their lives. Here are their answers.
Arron Villaflor
ARRON VILLAFLOR. Arron was a member of the group called Gigger Boys, along with Robi Domingo, Enchong Dee, Dino Imperial, Sam Concepcion, Chris Gutierrez and the late AJ Perez.
Arron said AJ’s death in 2011 served as “a heads-up to the group, to always take the necessary precautions when going on a road trip.”
Anotello Joseph Sarte Perez, or AJ, 18, was on his way to Manila from a show in Dagupan, Pangasinan, when the van he was riding collided with a passenger bus along McArthur Highway in San Julian, Tarlac. He was declared dead on arrival at a hospital in Paniqui.
“A lot of us accept gigs that are out-of-town. The incident made us realize that we should always be aware of what is happening around us, especially while on the road traveling,” Arron told the Inquirer. “People were saying that AJ would still be alive today had he been awake when the accident happened.
“For me, you don’t necessarily have to be awake the whole trip. Just make sure to check on your driver from time to time.”
News reports said the van tried to overtake a trailer truck when it collided with an incoming bus.
AJ, who was with his father and four other passengers, was seated on the side of the van that was hit by the bus and immediately died of injuries.
“You should also pray before a trip. What happened to AJ made a huge impact, not just on us Gigger Boys, but also on our colleagues who agree to perform in out-of-town shows,” declared Arron.
Robi Domingo
ROBI DOMINGO. Robi said he found the death of actor-TV host Rico Yan quite memorable, even though he was only a teenager then.
In 2002, Rico was found dead in his hotel room at the Dos Palmas Resort in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, by his friend, actor Dominic Ochoa.
Autopsy reports concluded that Rico died of cardiac arrest caused by acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis while asleep.
“He was a role model for the youth. Every one was surprised by his death,” Robi observed. Rico passed on at the peak of his acting and modeling career. He was made famous by his boy-next-door roles, especially in the teen-oriented show “Gimmick” on ABS-CBN.
At the time of his death, he was in a relationship with onscreen partner Claudine Barretto, whom he last worked with in the drama series, “Mula sa Puso.”
“I want to be the Rico Yan of hosting,” Robi declared. “When you say his name, people react positively, because he was well-loved by everyone. He had charisma. I want to achieve a similar status in my career as a host.”
Arra San Agustin
ARRA SAN AGUSTIN. Losing a colleague to death is also an opportunity for show biz personalities to reflect and relate this to their own personal experiences.
Young actress Arra San Agustin said she could not forget her reaction to the death of singer-actress Isabel Granada, who died of aneurysm while on a business trip in Doha, Qatar, in 2017.
“The mom of a good friend also died of aneurysm. My friend was to compete in the Miss World pageant when this happened. Her mom, who was there to watch the competition, suddenly fell on the floor,” Arra recalled. “She never got to watch her daughter compete because she was rushed to the hospital shortly after that.”
Arra said her mom’s friend was known to be health-conscious. “She would work out and jog. We didn’t expect that to happen to her, just like I never imagined it would happen to Ate Isabel,” the actress pointed out.
Isabel died at Hamad General Hospital in Doha, where she was rushed after collapsing at a meet-and-greet event in the city on Oct. 25. Doctors declared her dead on Nov. 4, after being in a coma for over a week. She was 41.
Arra said the experience made her think about her own parents, who live far from her and from each other.
Her dad is based in Mindoro, while her mom lives in Cavite. Arra, meanwhile, lives in Manila, close to her home network GMA 7.
“I know that we would all pass on eventually, but I hope I don’t lose my parents any time soon. I realized that I take for granted the very few times I get to spend with them,” she reflected. “Lucky are the kids who live with their parents and get to see them every day. If you’d count it, the time we’re apart is longer than the time we’ve been together since I was a kid.”
(Conclusion tomorrow)