John Arcilla (left) and his late older brother Emmanuel Arcilla (Images: Facebook/@JohnArcillaOfficial)
Veteran actor John Arcilla is mourning the death of his older brother Emmanuel Arcilla, while also being unsure if he did die due to COVID-19.
Arcilla took to Facebook on June 15 to share his woes, noting that his brother’s death in Baler is just almost a year apart from his father’s death on April 5, 2020.
“During my Father’s passing, also in Baler, there was an understandable brief wake for all our pleadings. Me and my siblings, all the kids and grandchildren here in Manila never had the chance to bury Him even if He died free of covid because of travel understandable restrictions and protocols,” he said.
Arcilla shared that he and his siblings, who are in Manila, did not have the chance to bury their father even if he died free of COVID-19 because of travel restrictions.
“BALER by that time is still in a ZERO CASE Covid Status, nevertheless It was such a devastating moment in our lives. Today, my Brother Emmanuel Arcilla will be buried at once because he was ‘POSITIVE’ by antigen,” Arcilla shared.
“Again me, my siblings, kids and our grandchildren can not come due to limited time and travel protocols. It’s been a year, since my father’s passing and here we are again, yet our COVID cases are even scarier and greater while the VACCINES are already available,” the actor stressed.
“BALER now has around 50 cases. I Don’t want to resort [to] a BLAME GAME. I want to think I am better than that. This [COVID-19 pandemic] is everyone’s responsibility but there are somethings that adds PAIN to the injury,” Arcilla added.
Arcilla noted that Emmanuel suffered from diabetes and hypertension for several years before his passing, and that he was announced dead on arrival at the hospital due to heart failure.
“[But] then He was DECLARED covid positive by an ANTIGEN (test) few minutes after and it is a PROTOCOL that the body should be buried in less than 24 hours,” Arcilla stressed.
“So it PREVENTED His Kids, Grandchildren and us His Family to see His body, PAINFULLY UNDERSTANDABLE. We asked for a real swab wishing to see the result after three days even if He’s already BURIED just to ease our minds but it is not an ‘allowed’ procedure anymore (?) according to the Hospital,” he added.
Arcilla said the situation is “bothering [him] so much,” sharing that his friends who are doctors admitted that there is still inaccuracy in rapid antigen tests, leading to “false positive” or “false negative” results.
“I know I should blame NO ONE since the inaccuracy in medical results and diagnostics will not be taken against HOSPITALS or DOCTORS. It could be in the testing tools or in the procedures itself since it is not a hundred percent perfected yet as experts said. So now my brother will be clinically declared as a person who died of covid, with uncertainty,” Arcilla lamented.
’10 loved ones gone in a year’
Arcilla also disclosed to the public that in around one year, he had already lost 10 loved ones, including his brother Emmanuel and their father.
While they died of different reasons, including cancer and heart failure, one did succumb to COVID-19. It was Arcilla’s relative named Gloria Sibal, who died on March 30 last year due to the virus.
“[Ten] loved ones gone in a year time. It is the first time this thing happened and these are all stress related either they were not going out totally or they don’t want to go to hospitals scared of contaminations. In some ways it is all due to the pandemic climate,” Arcilla highlighted.
He then recalled that his younger sister and her family tested positive but survived COVID-19 last November just by following the doctor’s advice. Another sister of him also survived COVID-19 just last April.
Arcilla also shared the he himself survived COVID-19 last January in the United States, sharing that “It was a severe one and I consider this my second life.”
“In times like these it is hard to embrace every PAIN, STRESS and CONSIDERATIONS all at the same time. I was thinking, will it be the same if my brother had his Vaccine? I am done with mine. I was able to convince some of my siblings and relatives after I’ve told them that it is not just for our own’s sake but it is our responsibility to our community and our country – some people are scared while a lot of people are ‘dying’ to wait for their TURN,” the actor said.
Arcilla also disclosed that he had asked his brother to get the vaccine weeks prior to his death, although Emmanuel declined because of the rumors he had been hearing about the vaccine’s negative effects.
“Sometimes you don’t know what to blame. The people’s Hesitation? the medicine’s limitations? [Or] the people who delayed the VACCINES for whatever reasons, that are now about to expire?” Arcilla asked.
“I can say am better now in handling these situations compared to the months before this. My Family, my friends and my work PUSHED my perseverance to deal with it and they made me stronger. Keeping my TRUST and CONNECTION to the ALMIGHTY keeps me better everyday,” he shared.
He also noted that while the US is a lot bigger than the Philippines, it is already “about to go back to normal” unlike our country.
“From WHOSE weakness why our situation is getting worse? It could be our people (baka madami pa din pasaway [maybe they are hard-headed]) It could be the People who [make businesses] out of these miseries (Bakit sila nakakalusot [how do they not get caught]),” the actor said.
“It could be some Public officials (bakit natin sila binoboto [why do we vote for them) Who really knows? But one thing is for sure, It is all our [responsibility]. We need to mature as people to ACT RESPONSIBLE and RELIABLE to LESSEN or totally avoid these kinds of misfortunes,” he stressed.
Arcilla then finished his lengthy message by stating that he grieves for his brother, his loved ones who passed away and for “all families who had the same experience as ours.”
“God bless us all,” he added.
On June 14, Arcilla also posted on Facebook photos of him getting vaccinated against COVID-19 and encouraged the public to “get the jab done” as well. /ra
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