Mark Bautista (L) and his father Leon Darni Bautista III. Images: Facebook/Mark Bautista
Mark Bautista’s father, Leon Darni Bautista III, passed away last Thursday, Jan. 23. The singer expressed his grief over his family’s loss with a short yet sweet montage of his father’s old photos, as seen in his Facebook post yesterday, Jan. 25.
Bautista also recounted the day his father died.
He said his mother first called his brother on the morning of Jan. 23. After the call, the singer’s brother woke him up and told him that their mother was crying because their father was in a hospital and was non-responsive.
“I started to feel anxious,” Bautista said. “For my Mom to cry like that, it could only mean something serious.”
He also noted how it was “already alarming” for their mother to ask them to fly to their hometown, Cagayan de Oro. The brothers immediately packed their things and left for the airport. While they were in a car on the way to the airport, Bautista said their sister had called them to tell them that their father had already died.
“My brother and I broke down. No words, just tears,” the singer added. “It was too heavy to take.”
Despite the tragic news, Bautista said he has slowly reached a clear understanding of his father’s death.
“I’d like to think that my father’s life is already a blessing,” he explained. “Maybe this is already God’s full extension of his life since this is already his 12th attack.”
Bautista did not mention what his father was suffering from but stated that he has “been through a lot.” The singer also expressed his gratitude for being able to spend Christmas with his father last December, as well as being present for his mother’s and brother’s birthdays.
“I thought I was prepared after a series of false alarms and recoveries the past few years, but one can never be prepared when you hear the news for the first time that the person you love is indeed gone,” he said. “It’s heartbreaking.”
“It’s the first loss in our immediate family and I slowly realized that a part of me, the person who contributed half of my blood, my genes, my everything is gone and will never be with us forever,” Bautista added.
After looking back on how his father had worked hard abroad to support their family, he reminded his followers to take care of their loved ones.
“Show them more love and give more time because you’ll never know what will happen next,” Bautista said.
The singer also shared a sweet moment with his family during his father’s wake, as seen in a separate post earlier today, Jan. 26. In light of his parents’ wedding anniversary yesterday, he was his father’s proxy as he danced with his mother. They danced to Bautista’s brother singing the 2003 tune “Dance With My Father”.
“Mama said she’s happy,” the singer stated, “at least for that moment and I’m sure papa is happy too.” JB
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