Arnold Clavio (right), puppet Arn-arn and puppeteer Danilo “Totong” Federez. Image: screengrab from Instagram/@akosiigan
Arnold Clavio paid tribute to puppeteer Danilo “Totong” Federez, the man behind Clavio’s puppet sidekick Arn-arn, who passed away yesterday, Aug. 17.
“When I heard the sad news ng pagyao ni Danilo Federez, o ‘Totong’ sa kanyang mga kaibigan, noong Miyerkules ng umaga, parang may part of me na nawala,” the broadcaster admitted via Instagram, also yesterday.
(When I heard the sad news about the death of Danilo Federez, or “Totong” to his friends, this Wednesday morning, it felt like a part of me was gone.)
Clavio gave the public a glimpse of several moments he had spent with Federez, who he described as professional and the “soul” of Arn-arn. He also recalled how Federez took good care of Arn-arn and treated the puppet with respect.
“Si Totong ang kaluluwa ni Arn-arn. Ang kanyang kanang braso ang nagpapagalaw sa kanyang bibig sa tuwing magsasalita,” he said. “Hindi biro ang trabaho ni Totong bilang puppeteer. Ilang oras din siyang nakaluhod pero walang reklamo.”
(Totong was Arn-arn’s soul. His right arm moved [Arn-arn’s] mouth every time he spoke. Totong’s job as a puppeteer was not a joke. He would kneel for hours without complaint.)
Clavio then recounted his visit to Federez’s home back in 2019, when they had been apart for a long time due to the latter’s health issues. He noted that at the time, Federez’s movements and health had changed a lot, but the puppeteer tried to convince Clavio to allow him to go back to work.
“Sabi ko, oras na bigyan siya ng clearance ng doktor niya, agad-agad ay makakababalik siya. Pero alam kong malabo nang mangyari yun. At that time, nakita ko na ang blangkong pagtingin sa mga mata niya at naramdaman ko rin ang labis niyang pagkalungkot,” he recalled.
(I told him, once he was given clearance by his doctor, he could immediately get back to work. But I knew it was unlikely to happen. At the time, I saw the blank expression in his eyes and I felt his extreme sadness.)
Clavio added that he saw in Federez a “Kuya (brother)” that he never had since the latter served as a protector for him. Meanwhile, he sees Arn-arn as something that will only serve as a memory and “ulila na nilisan na ng kanyang ama (an orphan left by his father).”
“Paalam Totong. Nasa mabuti ka nang kalagayan sa piling ng ating Amang lumikha. Isang maligayang paglalakbay,” he addressed the departed puppeteer. (Goodbye Totong. You are now in good hands with our Creator. May you rest in peace.)
Besides Clavio, fellow broadcaster Connie Sison and actor Jason Abalos were among those who sent their condolences to Federez’s family.
Federez died in his sleep in the early morning yesterday, as disclosed by his family and Clavio. Arn-arn served as Clavio’s sidekick in GMA Network’s morning show “Unang Hirit,” and was made to look like the broadcaster.
In 2017, Federez suffered health problems and had a stroke that led him to get hospitalized for months. Back then, he had difficulty talking, but expressed appreciation for the support he received from Clavio and his colleagues from “Unang Hirit.” /ra
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