"DEAR GOD, WE ARE NOT READY TO LOSE DOLPHY!" SINCERELY, 90
MILLION FILIPINOS
MANILA, JUNE 22,
2012 (MANILA TIMES) Written by : Ed Uy and Euden Valdez - IN a
rare display of unity, people from all walks of life bonded together in prayer
for a miracle—the recovery of one of the country's most beloved sons, comedy
king Dolphy.
The ailing comedian, who is Rodolfo Vera Quizon in real life, made millions
of Filipinos laugh since he began his acting career on stage and in film around
70 years ago.
As news spread of Dolphy's worsening health condition, fans and fellow
celebrities flooded Twitterverse with calls for prayer and messages of support.
The post, "Dear God, we are not ready to lose Dolphy. Sincerely, 90 million
Filipinos," has been retweeted more than a thousand times and the hash tag,
#PrayForDolphy, has become the number one trending topic on Twitter on Wednesday
night after members of the Quizon family related Dolphy's critical condition.
National artist Besides offering prayers, politicians, artists and fans also
took turns in calling for Dolphy's recognition as a national artist.
"To further pay proper tribute to [Dolphy], and for the children of today and
of tomorrow to get to know the achievements of Dolphy as a Filipino artist, the
Palace must immediately name him as a National Artist before it is too late,"
said Arlene Brosas, national secretary general of Akap Bata party-list, which
advocates children's welfare.
The group lamented that while Dolphy has brought laughter to Filipinos of
many generations, he has been denied the prestigious award.
Former lawmaker and columnist Teddy Boy Locsin directly addressed President
Benigno Aquino 3rd with the tweet: "Noynoy should rush to Dolphy's bedside with
National Artist Award, NOW, WAKE UP, GISING!"
He then followed it up with: "Noynoy, go to him now, go to Dolphy with the
National Artist Award in your hand, do something nice for Chrissake, please."
Entertainment host and writer Ogie Diaz and former child actor Chuckie
Dreyfuss shared similar sentiments.
"Kelan niyo pa balak ibigay ang National Artist award kay Tito Dolphy? Kapag
pampalubag-loob na lamang? Lagi na lang ganito…" tweeted Dreyfuss. Diaz, on the
other hand, posted: "Ndi man lang nagawaran bilang National Artist si Tito
Dolphy. Kelan ibibigay? Pag wala na?"
Also on Thursday, Vice President Jejomar Binay and Senators Manuel Villar,
Pia Cayetano and Gregorio Honasan joined mounting calls for the conferment of
the award on Dolphy.
"Dolphy is an integral part of Philippine entertainment. He was instrumental
in the transition of entertainment from the zarzuela to the silver screen, and
as such deserves to be conferred the highest accolade that our nation can give
to artists of his caliber," Binay said.
Villar, who was supported and endorsed by Dolphy in the 2010 presidential
elections, said that the "King of Comedy" should be recognized for his
outstanding achievements in the entertainment industry.
In 2007, Villar wrote to Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Chairman
Emily Cabrera to convey his proposal to name Dolphy as one of the country's
National Artists.
"He is respected by his peers and was recipient of many awards.. In my heart
and in the hearts of many Filipinos, he is a National Artist," Villar said.
Elusive Since the Arroyo administration, the National Artist Award has been
elusive to the showbiz legend. The search is spearheaded by the CCP and the
National Commission for Culture and the Arts but the President only makes the
final decision on who will be conferred the honor.
In 2010, President Aquino awarded Dolphy the Grand Collar of the Order of the
Golden Heart. It is the highest award accorded by the President to a private
citizen.
Honasan, for his part, said that "any formal recognition of Quizon would be
appreciated now while he, his loved ones and our people can better appreciate
it."
"He has brought so much joy and hope to generations of Filipinos not only as
an entertainment icon and comedian but as a human being," he pointed out.
Too late On Wednesday, Eric Quizon was interviewed on TV to share that his
father was in a "very critical condition" and asked the public to pray for him.
Yesterday morning, Dolphy was reported to be in "critical but stable"
condition, and according to his son, Ronnie, the family was still "waiting for
good news."
Ronnie said Dolphy was able to sleep soundly throughout the night. "Sarap ng
tulog humihikab pa nga eh," he said.
Ronnie said they were also observing how their dad was reacting to the blood
transfusion and thanked boxers from the Elorde gym who donated the rare blood
type B+ to the actor.
On the National Artist Award issue, the young Quizon said there was no need
to give the honor to his father at this point, implying that it was already "too
late." Instead, he asked for more prayers from his father's fans.
[PHOTO -President Noynoy Aquino (left) gave the Marangal na
Kuwintas to Dolphy (right) at the Rizal Ceremonial Hall of Malacañang Palace
earlier today, November 8, 2010. Zsa Zsa Padilla accompanied her life partner
during the event. The prestigious award is given in recognition of the King of
Comedy's philanthropy and significant contributions to Philippine cinema and
television. Photography: Ryan Lim/Malacañang Photo
Bureau]
Hands tied Malacañang said, President Aquino is not ready to confer the actor
the award anytime soon until the "procedure in the selection" was followed.
But Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda made it clear that Mr. Aquino
had nothing against Dolphy.
"The President believes and has a high respect for the body of works of
Dolphy. However, we recognize the process that requires for a National Artist to
be selected and we are not part of the process that determine who should be
conferred the order of a National Artist. We certainly recognize the work that
Dolphy has done," Lacierda explained.
Besides the lack of procedural requirements, Lacierda reminded the public
that there is a temporary restraining order (TRO) issued by the Supreme Court in
the conferment of the award, pending the decision on the Carlo J. Caparas case
in 2009.
Caparas was declared a national artist that year but the award drew stinging
questions and harsh criticisms.
Critical Dolphy, who is still confined at the Makati Medical Center, has
reportedly stabilized but remains in critical condition.
"The doctors were actually suggesting something but I can't say it right now.
But they want to do something to him. They can only make sure if in the next
three hours if it's still the same condition then they will probably perform
that. I will let you know later what it is. The doctors just want to make sure
that they will be able to perform that," Eric said.
Eric said Dolphy's blood pressure has stabilized, and while his kidneys
remain weak, the veteran actor has started to urinate.
Eric also said that members of their family are taking shifts to watch over
their father. His siblings in America are also set to come home to visit their
father.
On Wednesday, Eric revealed that his father has been suffering from chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease, which hinders the flow of air to the lungs. With reports from Jaime Pilapil, Ritchie A. Horario and Neil
Alcober
Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2012 by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE
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rights reserved
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