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WE’RE
saddened by the death of Rudy “Daboy” Fernandez, one of
the more credible onscreen heroes of our youth. In his
world, we feel revenge has no place if violence and
anger overpower reason. Daboy’s favorite characters had
always been the antihero. He made biting the bigote
(moustache) ever fashionable for heroes, as he defend
himself from the bad guys and especially if his family
were the ones threatened. He was our hero with a
realistic mission, not the trigger-happy cowboy who can
shoot all the bad guys with just one pistol and a round
of bullets tucked in the belt.
For
teenagers in the 1980s, Daboy was the kuya, uncle
and father who defended the oppressed with unraveling
might, even if it meant he would be beaten up to the
pulp. Or die in the end.
Cancer
spares no one. Daboy fought it for two years.
And it
was a good fight, like the heroes he played on the big
screen.
Yes, he
was too young to bid good-bye to the industry which his
family—from his father (the late film director),
siblings, loved ones and children—gave most of their
lives. In the last few years when he was still up and
able, the local filmdom had become an entirely different
animal. Only kilig love stories and pa-indie
types were being made.
The
likes of Daboy and his caliber may have had their time.
Then
again, he gave all the opportunities to his eldest son.
As a
father, Daboy did what he could for his eldest to
survive show business, giving him the best directors and
actors to work with. We all knew how Mark Anthony
Fernandez was before he became a father himself. The
young Fernandez is now a most sought-after character
actor.
For fans
like us who carried plastic baby Armalites, caliber .45
and AK-47 on our way to school, Daboy will always be
remembered for the line “Trabaho lang, walang
personalan. (It’s my job, nothing personal.)”
He tried
to be a public servant once but lost to a veteran
politician. Knowing that politics is a far more
dangerous snake pit than show business, Daboy decided to
remain a private citizen, content on tending the family
businesses.
Up to
the very end, Daboy was doing his job on a very personal
level—as a good friend to Jinggoy, Bong, Ipe and even
ex-wife Alma. He had been the most caring husband to
Lorna Tolentino and disciplinarian to their children.
Most of
all, Daboy was able to show everyone that death is
nothing to be feared of. His courage to accept his fate
was an inspiration to all, especially those with cancer
and other fatal diseases. He looked at death straight in
the eye.
Daboy in
our memory will stay as the tough-looking, much-awarded
actor with a perpetual smile in his handsome, youthful
face.
The
Director of all directors up in the heavens yelled
“Cut!” and we all know that for Daboy, it was a good
take. And the greatest film on and by him has been made.
Our
heartfelt prayers to the Fernandez family....
****
WHEN the
TV commercial with Judy Ann Santos explaining the
system-loss charge in our electric bills surfaced a
couple of days ago, we almost fell off our seat. What
the “pack” was that all about?
One, how
could she have allowed herself to be featured in that?
To think, there have been rumors on her transferring to
the Kapuso Network.
As you
all know, ABS-CBN, or the Kapamilya Network, is the
property of the powerful Lopez family who also controls
the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco). That Santos did the
TV commercial seems to suggest that she has
embraced—again—the network that she recently openly
tried to steer clear from.
Management duress?
In a
radio interview, her very vocal manager Alfie Lorenzo
said when he learned about the TV commercial, it was too
late for him to meddle. He said he only got a call a few
minutes before the commercial was shot. He didn’t even
see the script.
Apparently, the TV ad was shot before
Santos
and her boyfriend Ryan Agoncillo flew to
London for a show on Monday (June 9). Even her mother, Carol, was
oblivious of the TV ad until she saw it. The first to
react negatively was the Volunteers Against Crime and
Corruption, calling for a boycott on anything related to
Santos.
Gabriela
Rep. Luzviminda Ilagan was quoted as saying, “Judy Ann
allowed herself to be the tool of Meralco. She should
have known better.”
Citizens
Battle Against Corruption Rep. Joel Villanueva added
that the ad was one-sided in defending the system-loss
charge that poor consumers are being made to shoulder.
In
another report, Manila City District 6 Rep. Bienvenido
Abante Jr. said Santos might have violated the Consumers
Protection Act and has ordered the legal officers of the
House Committee in Public Information to investigate on
the possible consequences of the said infomercial.
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said that despite
Santos speaking for Meralco in the said commercial, the
electric charges will stay the same. He added that
Meralco can use any celebrity that it wants and
Malacañang won’t be surprised if it will.
Moreover, Secretary Ermita asked the Energy Regulatory
Commission to find out if Meralco passed to its
consumers the payment of Santos’s talent fee for the
said infomercial.
In his
younger sister’s defense, former matinee idol Jeffrey
Santos said in a TV interview that politicians should
stop attacking his sister because come election time,
they are the first ones clamoring for her support to
resurrect their moribund political career. It can be
recalled that Judy Ann was the winning factor in the
election of a once-losing senatorial candidate, among
others now holding important positions in Congress and
the government.
Alfie
Lorenzo views all this as part of a malawakang
smear campaign to destroy his alaga, who still
has a year-long contract to fulfill with the Lopez-owned
TV network. |
