Mom of slain stand-up comedian Gold Dagal mourns his death, reveals threats
Image: Facebook/Gold Dagal
Stand-up comedian Gold Dagal’s mother, Jocelyn Cruz, expressed profound grief over the gruesome killing of her son, saying “people who claim to be closest to God” were the perpetrators behind his death.
Dagal, known in comedy circles for his straight-faced humor laced with socio-political themes and other taboo topics, was shot dead in Pampanga on March 15. Before the killing, he had recently drawn the ire of some individuals with his controversial comedic performances that made references to a certain religious group.
On Facebook on Monday, March 17, Cruz lamented the death of the stand-up comedian and stated that a “hired killer ended his life.”
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“Why this happened? I know those he offended with his jokes during one of his stints in his stand-up comedy shows, had planned to end his life like how they constantly threatened,” she said. “They are a bunch of cowards who cannot defend themselves and their faith, which was put in question thru his dark humor.”
“His jokes involved making light of subjects that are generally considered serious, taboo, or distressing, which served various psychological and social functions,” Cruz continued, noting how a private performance of Dagal drew the ire of some “unthinkers.”
“I have always reminded him that engaging in such dark humor can alienate or offend others. But some people who claim to be closest to God planned and perpetrated this crime,” she claimed. “They killed my son, whom I raised to be good and smart and who is always handsome.”
Aside from Cruz, the non-profit organization Project Jade also paid tribute to Dagal while calling for justice for his death.
“To many, Gold was a comic with crude humor. But to us, he’s one of the few people who stood up against human rights violations and indoctrination,” it wrote. “Hustisya para sa’yo, Gold.”
Lawyer and comedian Edward Chico also grieved Dagal while sharing the same sentiments as Cruz’s.
“Who would have thought he would be shot dead simply because he was a comedian? But in this age of social media, this is the state in which we live,” Chico said.
“Surely, it would be premature to make any conclusion. For all we know the motive may be different. However, the ordeal he went thru when he went viral should spark discussion about free speech,” he continued.
While Chico acknowledged the lack of evidence, he cried for justice and lamented how “people nowadays censor you simply because your views are opposed to theirs.”
“Comedy does not normalize those that shouldn’t be, as you always insist. It is not the root cause, but merely a reflection of the absurdities of what you all think about and believe in. That’s why you find jokes funny,” he noted.
“Rest in peace, my dear brother! You will be missed!” Chico concluded.
