MANILA -- Michael Jackson was due to make his triumphant return to the stage in London next month, but instead, his sudden death has left millions of Filipinos feeling they've lost a lifelong friend.

The news of Jackson’s death Friday (Philippine time) stunned nearly everyone, from the young men who were named after the “King of Pop," to politicians and local celebrities, and to a generation of people around the world who have tried to moonwalk.

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“Mr. Pure Energy” Gary Valenciano, who has been popular imitating Jackson’s signature dance moves, said Friday that part of him died as his "idol" passed away.

“His music and style transcends generations as seen in the way he influenced even the youngest of artists we see today. In some ways, it's like part of me has died too. He was an inspiration to me,” Gary said.

“Michael Jackson... there simply will never be another quite like him. His death is now the biggest event but his music and his life were always about something big. I'm thankful that I witnessed him live on stage and that he played his part as he sang and danced his way into my life. I don't know until when this grieving will settle in all those who have been inspired by him,” he added.

Cebuana crooner Raki Vega, meanwhile, said she was thankful to be given a chance to revive a Michael Jackson's song, “through Tito Boy Abunda's album "Love Life" with the song ‘Childhood.’"

"He has left a legacy and has touched so many. We will truly miss him. My idol and inspiration. R.I.P. MJ! God bless you! This has to be one of the saddest days in music history," she lamented.

For singer-actress Zsa-Zsa Padilla, the death of Jackson is not at all surprising. "I have the feeling he would die young... but I am just lucky to watch him live in one of his concerts."

House Speaker Prospero Nograles, meanwhile, joins the world in mourning the passing of the “King of Pop.”

"Today, I join the world in mourning the passing of Michael Jackson who left behind a legacy that made this world a better place to live in. He was one of my Concert King idols who transcended race and color and united the world of music. His sudden death is indeed shocking and saddening," Nograles said.

He said the great admiration of Filipinos on Jackson have not ceased over the years and this became evident when 1,500 inmates of the Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center in Cebu danced to the tune of his song "Thriller," which became an instant hit on Youtube.

Tribute

Thousands from all over the world paid their respects to the “King of Pop” by viewing the YouTube video of Cebu-based inmates dancing to “Thriller” moments after the news of Jackson’s death flashed across millions of cell phones and television screens.

They wrote their condolences -- like “R.I.P. from Germany” or “R.I.P. Michael, you are sorely missed all over the world” -- in the page’s comment box.

“After his death, I was surprised that the video became like an online tribute,” said Byron Garcia, the Cebu Provincial Government’s security consultant and the one who uploaded the original dance video.

“In the morning, there were around 23,300,000 views. Now, there are around 23,500,000 views,” Garcia said around noon Friday.

Cebu City Councilor Sylvan “Jack” Jakosalem also immediately paid tribute by dedicating his 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. program on Y101 to Jackson.

While shocked by the pop icon’s death, Jakosalem said he was also surprised that Jackson had such a wide fan base. “Young kids are fans also,” he said.

His personal favorites include “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You” and “Don’t Stop Till You Get It.” His six-year-old son loves “Thriller.”

“It’s sad to note that when a person dies, it’s when people get to know him more,” added Jakosalem. He compared Jackson’s death to the sudden loss of other music legends, like Elvis Presley and John Lennon.

For public figures who grew up in the 1970s and 80s, Jackson’s music was a familiar sound.

“When I was young, I used to dance to his music,” recalled Cebu City Councilor Gerry Carillo. “Billie Jean” and “Ben” are his top choices among Jackson’s hits.

Councilor Bebot Abellanosa said he thought Jackson, 50, and on the brink of another world tour, still had time to “make more impact in the music industry.” His favorite Jackson tune is “One Day In Your Life.”

As their way of paying tribute, inmates at the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC) will reprise their “Thriller” performance at 3 p.m. Saturday to end a free show.

“The prisoners are all sad,” said Garcia. “Of course, it was his song that made them famous.”

In 2007, Time magazine listed a YouTube video of the inmates’ “Thriller” number among the “most popular viral videos” of that year, viewed by millions in the Philippines and abroad.

The “Thriller” video was the eighth video he uploaded online, recalled Garcia. But compared to the inmates’ earlier videos like “Algorithm March,” “Radio Gaga” or “I Will Follow Him,” Jackson’s 1984 hit single was the one “that catapulted them (inmates) to international stardom,” Garcia said.

“It’s my all-time favorite song,” he confessed.

He said he picked the song when he remembered reading a newspaper article titled: “Should Michael be jailed or not?” It tackled child sexual abuse accusations against Jackson in the early 1990s.

The performance gave the inmates a chance to show their newfound discipline and confidence. On Friday, it gave viewers a chance to bid the “moonwalker” goodbye.

Autopsy

The 50-year-old superstar died Friday (Philippine time), just as he was preparing for what would be a series of 50 concerts starting July 13 in London.

Jackson had been spending hours and hours toiling with a team of dancers for a performance he and his fans hoped would restore his tarnished legacy to its proper place in pop.

An autopsy was planned, though results were not likely to be final until toxicology tests could be completed, a process that could take several days and maybe weeks. However, if a cause can be determined by the autopsy, the results will be announced, said Los Angeles County Coroner Investigator Jerry McKibben.

Police said they were investigating Jackson’s death, standard procedure in high-profile cases.

Paramedics tried to resuscitate him in his rented home in the posh Los Angeles neighborhood of Holmby Hills for nearly three-quarters of an hour, then rushed him to the UCLA Medical Center.

“It is believed he suffered cardiac arrest in his home. However, the cause of his death is unknown until results of the autopsy are known,” his brother Jermaine said. (Jill Beltran/BOT of Sun.Star Davao/AP/GPQ/LQ3/Sun.Star Cebu/Sunnex)