TAKE FIVE The loving buddies that Daboy left behind By Marinel Cruz Philippine Daily Inquirer First Posted 02:40:00 06/29/2008
MANILA, Philippines - They often speak of Rudy “Daboy” Fernandez as if he were still around. Senators Jinggoy Estrada, Ramon “Bong” Revilla and actor Phillip “Ipe” Salvador still consider their buddy, who recently died after battling cancer for two years, the linchpin in their fast friendship.
On Tuesday night, when the guys sat down with Inquirer Entertainment, Jinggoy received his second Best Actor trophy for Joey Reyes’ “Katas ng Saudi,” from the Entertainment Press. During the awards rites, they performed “Paalam Daboy,” whom Tirso Cruz III, another close friend of their’s, reworded from a Nonoy Zuñiga original. Enpress gave the late action star a posthumous award.
Here are excerpts from the often hilarious exchange:
You asked director Joey Reyes to write a script for a movie. How is it going? Jinggoy: Masyadong dramatic e. It’s sort of a tribute Rudy. Dapat kaming tatlo kasama d’on.
How was your friendship formed? Ipe: Una, kami lang ni Daboy. Halos magkasing-tanda kasi kaming dalawa. Jinggoy: Inamin rin! Ipe: Post-prod ng isang pelikula namin nu’ng una naming makita sina Bong at Jinggoy sa Magnatech Studio. Simula n’un, maganda na ang kwentuhan. Bong: Kaming dalawa ni Jinggoy talaga ang magkaibigan. Ito ang totoong version: Si Daboy, tatakbong president ng KAPP (Kapisanan ng mga Artista ng Pelikulang Pilipino). Bumuo kami ng board, kasama kaming apat. Du’n kami naging close.
What is your common denominator? Bong: May kanya-kanyang character kami. Ito (Ipe) pikon, pero malakas mang-alaska. Ito (Jinggoy) sobrang alaskador; s’ya naman ang pinakapikon. Ako, palaging inaalaska pero di nang-aalaska. ’Yang si Jinggoy ang nuno sa lahat ng nuno. Ipe: Tama. Lahat kami, may pagkapikon, pero ang pinaka swabe, si Daboy.
What was Daboy like when he was pikon?: Ipe: Titingnan ka nang diretso tapos sasabihin sa ’yo, “Gano’n?” Umpisa na ’yun.
Why do you think you clicked—common interests? Politics, girls? Bong: ’Di pwedeng i-reveal ’yun. ’Di naman sa babae lang. Ipe: Mahal namin ang pamilya ng bawa’t isa.
Your wives hang out together, too? Ipe: Ask them (Jinggoy and Bong). Jinggoy: Why us? Ikaw kasi papalit-palit ka ng asawa. (Laughter)
Sino ang may pinakamaraming chicks? Bong: Sino pa, e ’di si Daboy! Jinggoy: Loko ’to. Bong: Wala na naman si Daboy, e; ’di na siya makakapagreklamo. (Laughter) Ipe: Lahat naman kami may pinagdadaanan. Pero graduate na kami. Jinggoy: Si Daboy, very discreet. Si Bong, very indiscreet. Ipe: Ikaw (Jinggoy) hindi ka ba nabubuking? Bong: Laging nababato ng asawa ’yan eh. Jinggoy: Hindi naman lagi; once lang. (Laughter)
Who’s the group leader? Bong: Pantay-pantay kami—sa height lang laging nagkakatalo. ’Yung pinakamaliit, gusto n’ya laging nasa gitna.
Who’s the baby? Jinggoy: Syempre, ako lagi ’yun. Bong: Kasi isip-bata, kahit mas matanda pa sa akin.
You’re all action stars. Sino ang pinakamagaling sa suntukan? Bong: Kanya-kanyang style. Pagalingan na lang sa pag-iwas sa suntok ng asawa. (Laughter) Jinggoy: Meron d’yan maganda ang katawan pero ang bagal ng reflexes. Ako, kahit mataba, mabilis. (Laughter)
Who is the best with guns? Bong: Si Daboy. Ipe: ’Wag mo pababarilin si Jinggoy… Bong: Sigurado ang tama, sa lupa. Naka-holster pa ’yan. Sabi nya, ‘Akin na ang baril! ’Asan ang target? Ang lapit naman!’ Peng, peng, peng! Pagtingin namin, nasa lupa lahat. Sabi ko, ‘Wag na ’wag ka na hahawak n’yan kahit kailan.’ (Laughter)
What other interests did you share with Daboy? Ipe: Badminton. We also went skid shooting in Antipolo.
How are you all holding up, now that he’s gone? Jinggoy: Personally, nasa isip ko pa rin ang mga nangyari. Ipe: Hindi naman s’ya nawala, nauna lang. Jinggoy: Noong heyday namin, ang samahan namin sobra, parang hindi kami mamamatay. Bong: Parang walang katapusan.
Are you now more concerned about your own health? Jinggoy: Nung kasalukuyang may sakit si Rudy at sinamahan namin sa hospital, nagpa-check-up na rin kaming tatlo. Bong: Malakas kasi kumain ’yan (Jinggoy). Ipe: Ang akala nila ako ang may diperensya, sila pala. Bong: Kami pala ni Jinggoy ang may high-blood. It also turned out, kailangan kong magpa-angiogram. Si Daboy pa nagpalakas ng loob ko. Sabi n’ya, ‘pare ’wag ka mag-aalala d’yan. At least ’yan may cure pa. ’Yung sa akin ’di ko alam kung meron.’ Jinggoy: We pray na ’wag mangyari ’yun sa amin. Bong: Kung oras mo na, oras mo na. You just have to be ready. What’s important is to do good things. ’Yung magagandang nagawa mo, ’yun ang magiging larawan ng buong buhay mo. Jinggoy: Tama! Kaya ’wag mo na pahihirapan si Lani. (Laughter)
Sino ang pinaka-love ni Daboy sa inyo? Jinggoy: Secret!
You say Jinggoy is pasaway. Can you recall extreme instances? Bong: If you don’t know Jinggoy, mapipikon ka. Akala ng marami, suplado s’ya, pero may puso ’yan. Ipe: Pusong mamon. Bong: Hindi kami magiging magkaibigan kung hambog ang mama na ’to. Pa-effect lang n’ya ’yun para isipin mong macho s’ya. Pag hindi nakapang-asar sa isang araw, maski sa Senado, lalagnatin ’yan. Ang tawag ko nga sa kanya, Boy Bully.
The highly publicized quarrel between Jinggoy and Bong was probably the lowest point in your friendship. How did Daboy patch things up? Ipe: Tatawagan n’ya ang dalawa, mag-a-attempt pagbatiin sila. ’Pag naiinis s’ya, ako naman ang uutusan tumawag. May point na sabi ni Daboy, “Pagharapin na lang natin; magsuntukan na lang kaya sila para tapos na! We were so happy nu’ng nagkasundo na sila.
What happens when you disagree on certain issues at the Senate? Bong: Respetuhan kami pagdating d’yan; opposition s’ya, administration ako. When we’re with friends, we don’t discuss those issues. Ngayong wala na si Daboy, mababalitaan mo na lang, mag-i-square kaming dalawa nito. Jinggoy: That will never happen. Magkapatid ang turingan namin. Pero ang pinaka-close talaga sa akin si Daboy. Si Phillip kasi nagpunta ng US. Si Bong naman nagkaroon kami ng misunderstanding. Si Daboy nandyan palagi, especially when I was in jail. Bumibisita sa akin.
Did Daboy’s death make you even closer? Ipe: Sabi ko nga sa aking eulogy, pinagbuklod kami ni Daboy—mag-asawa, magkapatid, magkakaibigan. While Daboy was in his death bed, itong si Jinggoy, nagsumbong, ‘Pare, magkagalit kami ni Bong.’ Maniwala ka man o hindi, nanghihina na si Daboy, napadilat ang mata at biglang nagsabing: “Ha?” Ayaw n’ya talaga ng ganun. This much I will say: I’d take a bullet for them.
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