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Wednesday, December 15, 2004
Oro residents, Muslims join mourning for FPJ
SENATOR Aquilino "Nene" Pimentel, Jr., Mayor Vicente Emano and several residents of Cagayan de Oro and Misamis Oriental Tuesday expressed their grief and offered prayers for the passing of action star and presidential aspirant Fernando Poe, Jr.
Pimentel, who once served as Cagayan de Oro city mayor, said Poe was someone who any person can easily relate to.
"I will always remember FPJ as a quiet man--short on political words but long on gentle love for the people. As a politician, he was sui generis. As a man he was common," he said.
Emano earlier said that despite Poe's critical condition, he hoped that the actor would recover from his illness.
Other officials like Regional Director Ombra Gandamra of the Office of Muslim Affairs (OMA) 10 said the local Muslim communities in Region 10 commiserate with the family of the late great actor on their loss.
"FPJ is indeed a great loss not only to the movie industry but to the nation as well. The Muslims love FPJ so much (that's why) his death is a great loss to us. He's such a super compassionate man," Gandamra said in text messages sent to Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro.
National artist
And in separate statements issued to media outlets Senator Ralph Recto and even spokesman Gregorio "Ka Roger" Rosal of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) paid homage to the popular actor known as "Da King" of Philippine Movies.
Recto, husband of popular actress and Lipa City Mayor Vilma Santos, said Poe was a Christian who died with his boots on while supervising relief work for typhoon-hit provinces of Quezon and Aurora in incognito fashion.
"(Poe) rode into the sunset as a Christian soldier doing good...He did not hold public office but his influence was greater than those who had. Fate didn't make him the president, but to the people he was Da King," he said.
The senator said "Da King" held his subjects in rapt attention as he transported their hopes and aspirations into the silver screen.
"He used (the movies) as his canvas in making the ordinary Pinoy larger than life, always beating the odds, and being the best he can be," the senator said.
For his part "Ka Roger" said the Filipino people will always remember FPJ as an actor who chose to depict characters who were poor and downtrodden but dared to defend their rights and fight their oppressors.
Profound sympathy
He said in real life FPJ was deeply interested and involved himself in matters of social concern and added that in some occasions in the past, the actor "invited comrades" to his home for earnest discussions on the revolutionary movement's work.
"On a personal level, he had profound sympathy for the plight of the poor and was always ready to contribute what he could for undertakings that would benefit the worker and peasant masses," Ka Roger said.
The CPP spokesman said he recalled several extended phone conversations he had with FPJ as a presidential candidate who "expressed great interest in achieving a lasting peace by addressing the roots of the armed conflict in the Philippines."
Poe, named Edgar Allan Kelley Poe in real life, succumbed to the coma he sustained early last Saturday despite attempts by his physicians to revive him.
Dr. Anastacio Aquino, Poe's personal physician, said in an announcement to media at the hospital premises that Poe passed away despite measures to revive him after he fell into a coma late Saturday night following a stroke.
"I'm very sad to announce that Mr. FPJ passed away," Dr. Aquino said.
He added aggressive resuscitative and therapeutic measures were undertaken, to no avail.
A full medical disclosure will be made shortly, he added.
"Ginawa po namin ang lahat (We did everything possible)," Dr. Aquino said. (Stephen Capillas and Liza Amarga with a report from Sunnex)
(December 15, 2004 issue)
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