Past month a roller-coaster ride for Dolphy’s family

CANDLES FOR PIDOL Fans light candles in front of a large poster of Dolphy outside the ABS-CBN compound where a tribute to the comedy king was held on Wednesday night. The body was taken back to Heritage Park in Taguig City where thousands of fans waited in line to view his body. RAFFY LERMA

Rodolfo “Dolphy” Quizon fought for his life to be with his family up to the last minute but his body was just too weak, according to his son Eric.

“Dad died peacefully. According to my siblings, there was no pain. It was like he just slowly moved to the light,” Eric, who acted as the family’s spokesperson, told reporters on Wednesday night during his father’s wake at the Dolphy Theater in the ABS-CBN Studios in Quezon City.

The actor-director was working on the set of a TV show in Bataan when his father died.

“Even if I wasn’t there, I spoke with my sisters Donna and Mariquita. I would call every

10 minutes to ask about his condition,” Eric recalled. “At 3 p.m., I was already aware that something was going on, although I was hoping it would reverse.”

Dolphy died on Tuesday night of multiple organ failure brought about by acute pneumonia, renal failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). He would have been 84 on July 25. His remains lie at Heritage Memorial Park in Taguig City.

“The past month had been a roller-coaster ride for the family,” Eric said. “Sometimes Dad was OK, sometimes he wasn’t. I had hoped that the last one was just one of those episodes and that he would eventually surpass it. I guess it came to a point when his body could no longer tolerate the medication. He fought hard, but his body was just too weak. We’re all suffering now. We’re all vulnerable. We’re mourning for our father.”

Overwhelming support

Aside from buying himself a coffin in 1977, Dolphy never discussed with anyone what he wanted for his own funeral, Eric said.

“Whenever we would ask, especially when we found out about his COPD [in 2009], he would always say, ‘let’s see.’ He hated to see his loved ones crying because of him,” he said.

Eric thanked the public for its “overwhelming support.”

“Because everyone prayed for him, we got our wish—to spend more time with him. We realized how much people cared about Dad when this happened. We learned how important, precious and well loved he was,” he said.

Doctors had already instructed all of Dolphy’s 18 children, some of whom were living abroad, to gather when the comedian was diagnosed with Stage 4 COPD in 2009, said Zsa Zsa Padilla, his longtime partner.

“At that time, his condition had already gotten worse,” Padilla said in her eulogy on Wednesday night. “I realized that, faced with this situation, all the issues within the family could actually be resolved. It was actually possible to unite all of Dolphy’s children from different mothers, especially during his last month.”

“Ours was not a conventional family, but it was through him that I learned how to love and be loved,” said Padilla, Dolphy’s partner for 23 years.

Through the years

“I really miss him,” Padilla declared. “Thinking of Dolphy makes me smile. … While in the hospital, I always pestered him. I would call him, ‘Lovey ko!’ and he would [react like he got startled]. That’s our gauge for knowing if he’s really conscious.”

She ended her speech by singing some lines from her favorite song “Through the Years.” Padilla and Dolphy have two daughters—Zia and Nicole.

Eric said the family felt honored when major foreign news organizations like the CNN, The New York Times and Fox News, reported Dolphy’s death.

“I’d like to think that my dad was larger than life. I guess he made such a huge impact on the Filipino people that international networks are now covering his death and are sympathizing with the nation. Nakakataba ng puso,” he said.

Eric also noted that his father’s death united all competing broadcast networks. “They’re all planning to air tributes to my father. The only way to do that is to have his body of work compiled. This means they will have to help each other. There are materials in channels 2, 5 and 7 that have to be put together.”

An estimated crowd of 4,100 paid their respects to the comedian at the Dolphy Theater from 9 p.m. to 12 midnight, according to events marshal Raffy Omelan. Dolphy’s remains were transferred to Heritage Park at 3 a.m. Thursday.

A celebration of life

Songs from Dolphy’s first and only album, “Handog ni Pidol,” were heard inside the 300-seat auditorium. White flowers— roses, daisies and anthuriums— were found all over the area. Guests were served arroz caldo, tokwa’t baboy and siomai during the wake by Restaurant 9501. Binagoongan, laing, boiled veggies, rice and pancit were offered during dinnertime.

According to Chit Guerrero, ABS-CBN special projects head, two rows of seats at the Dolphy Theater had to be removed to accommodate the comedian’s gold-plated coffin. Another row in the balcony was taken down to accommodate cameras of those covering the event. The seats close to the auditorium stage were allotted only for family members, close friends and VIPs.

Guerrero’s team produced the show “Salamat, Tito Dolphy: Pagsaludo sa Hari ng Komedya,” which was aired live on Studio 23 on Wednesday.

Among those who performed were Piolo Pascual, Basil Valdez, Rhap Salazar, Jed Madela, Vina Morales, Erik Santos and 92 AD. Fr. Tito Caluag blessed the comedian’s remains while ABS-CBN president Charo Santos-Concio talked about Dolphy’s impact on Filipino society. Kris Aquino, Ted Failon and Toni Gonzaga hosted the show.

“I already know what kind of program Dolphy liked,” Guerrero said. “I told production,  ‘let’s make it a celebration of his life.’ He would have wanted the program to be fun. I asked those who agreed to speak to come up with funny anecdotes about Dolphy. It was hard to convince Nova Villa (Dolphy’s costar in  ‘Home Along da Riles’) to speak because she said she couldn’t promise not to cry.”