Sa unang pagkakataon ay nagpaunlak ng interview through phone patch kahapon, March 7, ang asawa ng yumaong si Master Rapper Francis “Kiko” Magalona na si Pia Arroyo-Magalona sa Eat Bulaga!. Pero ang first on-cam interview ni Pia at ng kanyang mga anak ay nangyari sa Startalk kahapon din, isang araw pagkatapos yumao ang King of Rap dahil sa leukemia.
Sa one-on-one interview kay Pia ng Startalk co-host na si Ricky Lo, ang unang tanong ay kung paano nakaka-cope si Pia sa pagkamatay ni Francis?
“I think I’m coping well enough because I’ve been prepared naman for this. Both of us, me and Francis we’re prepared for this moment to happen. So, by the grace of God, He led the way para mas makayanan ko ito,” nakangiting sabi ni Pia, na very composed sa kabila ng pagkawala ng kanyang mister.
Naganap ang interview sa burol mismo ni Kiko sa Christ the King chapel sa Greenmeadows, Quezon City.
It’s been seven months since August of last year, how did you prepare yourself and your children for this very sad moment?
“You know like, normally, when you’re just having fun together…parang life is like one big party. Every day, with all the blessings… hindi naman sa devastated, kaya lang parang, ‘Ha?’ Bigla ka na lang na-diagnose of a disease, di ba? You know, this is something na bago sa akin kaya ang ginawa ko, ine-educate ko rin ang sarili ko about it kesa mag-panic ako. So, yun, I have prepared myself either pwedeng mabuti ang mangyari or masama rin. So, realistic talaga.”
LAST MOMENT WITH FRANCIS. Can you describe your last moment with Francis? Was he awake?
“He was awake. He was sedated, but the doctor told me to talk to him. I want to clear yung mga haka-haka. Never siyang naging comatose. Never siya…wala siyang bugbog or anything sa body. Talagang alert na alert siya… ang mind niya. Except, of course, nung na-sedate na siya. Binigyan siya ng mga gamot para hindi niya maramdaman yung masakit sa katawan niya.
“Kasi sa leukemia, masakit siya kapag naggu-grow back yung bone marrow na pinapatay ng chemo. So, yun lang. Para sa akin naman, yung last moment was like hindi naman naiba sa ibang araw kasi lagi ko naman siyang nakakasama, so alam na alam ko siya. You know, parang it went too fast. But thinking about it, I think it’s better that way na mabilis,” lahad ni Pia.
Ano ba ang last words ni Francis sa iyo?
“Well, wala naman mga last bilin talaga.”
Nagbilin daw siya na ikaw daw ang magme-makeup sa kanya?
“Oh, yeah. Yun nga, if ever it comes to this, gusto niya ako pa rin [ang magme-makeup sa kanya]. Kasi I used to do his makeup. Kasi parang he has a way talaga na he likes it. So, yung when he was really getting made up, yun na rin… Hindi naman ako yung ano [nag-makeup], pero ginayd ko yung gumawa. I want to thank you rin, give credit din dun sa gumawa. Ginayd ko lang naman para yung gusto niyang way.”
Wala bang pinagbilin dun sa mga bata?
“Going back dun… meron siyang mga things na ganun. Kaya lang, wala naman talaga yung last bilin talaga. Kasi nga, he was on respirator, ano na siya…parang natutulog lang. He needs the respirator, ventilator, kasi yung paghinga niya congested. Punung-puno yung [lungs] niya ng pneumonia, ng fluids, ng blood cells niya. Yun ang problem niya talaga kaya siya na-confine nitong last time. Ito lang yung Tuesday na ito [March 3].”
Did you ever think this was his last confinement?
“Looking back, akala namin yung first was yung last time na. Yung second time, akala mo yung last time na. And then, parang he gets away with it. So, parang sanay ka na. Parang akala mo lalabas ka na. Mapagbiro nga talaga yung life, di ba?
“Going back dun sa pinagbilin, wala naman but ever since na na-diagnose siya [with leukemia], talagang kapag kinakausap niya yung mga anak niya, mas ano na siya…parang on a different level of fatherhood. Hindi na… may fun and games pa rin, pero he would have serious moments with them,” pagbabahagi ni Pia.
Doon sa blog ni Francis, nagkaroon siya ng diary ng pinagdadaanan niya, di ba?
“Yes, lahat talaga,” sagot ni Pia. “Speaking of his diary, siyempre yung online journal niya, at yung medical journal namin, joint namin. Yung mismong personal journal niya yung magalona.com, yung mga hilig niya lahat nandun.”
TALKING ABOUT LEUKEMIA. Ang ikinamatay ni Francis is multiple organ failure due to secondary sepsis and pneumonia. Was the ailment hereditary or acquired?
“Kasi kapag sinabing leukemia, you never really heard what it really is. When I did research, I found out na apat na klase ng leukemia. So, wala siyang… like other cancers na…wala siyang stage. Leukemia doesn’t have stages. So, parang there are four types, there are two acute types and there are two chronic types. Ang acute, ibig sabihin is bigla na lang dumapo sa iyo. Yun ang kay Francis. Ang chronic is matagal nang nasa iyo, malalaman mo na lang ‘yon dahil nagpatingin ka sa ibang complains mo. Pero like yung kay Francis, na-diagnose siya na acute. So, bigla na lang nandiyan.
“And I want to correct myself also. I was quoted noon, pero I never had the chance to correct myself. Sinabi ko raw na mula March pa raw, meron na. Dumapo na lang siya talaga nung na-diagnose siya ng August. Wala siyang symptoms. Except nga last July nung pag-uwi nila sa Eat Bulaga! galing States.
“Kasi nga, sa fever niya, nakita ko talaga parang ang putla niya. I just said na parang it’s the usual ano lang. So, nag-take siya ng antibiotic, pero hindi naman nakuha sa ganun. Nagte-take siya noon ng paracetamol para mawala yung fever niya. Hanggang sa talagang…yung na nga it’s, na blood talaga. We thought anemia lang.”
Nasabi ba ng mga doktor ang real cause? Kasi ang sabi nila, yung mga speculations, pagkain daw ng mga grilled foods. Yung mga kinakain ba ni Francis has to do with it?
“All of that has nothing to do with it,” sabi ni Pia. “Pero like, yung mga grilled foods…pag nandiyan yung nagiging black. Ideally, pag susunugin mo yung balat ng manok… In the first place, hindi healthy na kumain ng balat ng manok, di ba? Dahil sobrang greasy yun and all. Hindi mo dapat kinakain ang part ng sobrang grilled food. Pero you can eat grilled food naman.”
Kahit noong nagke-chemo at wala nang buhok, si Francis remained cheerful, parang walang problema. Were there moments na kayong dalawa lang na nagbe-break down ka?
“No,” sagot niya. “What I mean is, si Francis, he’s a very passionate person. Passionate siya, in the sense, na alam natin kapag nagsalita siya na parang strong. Basta kapag nagalit siya, sasabihin niya talaga yung gusto niyang sabihin. So, minsan… Ang way niya is nagagalit siya dun sa cancer itself, pero he doesn’t give up. Sabi niya, ‘I’m gonna go down fighting.’ ‘Yan ang words niya talaga sa akin. And he said that on the last confinement, sabi niya yun.”
During the whole seven months of fighting, ang daming nakiramay sa inyo—fans, friends, families, colleagues, Sen. Dick Gordon, Rosa Rosal, Red Cross, sino pa yung gusto mong pasalamatan pa?
“Well, gusto kong magpasalamat dun sa mga co-artists niya, and I think ayaw na nilang pangalanan pa sila, e. Alam nila kung sino yung nagbigay ng financial aid. Aside of course sa aming major financier, of course si Mr. [Tony] Tuviera and the TAPE office. Pero besides that, may mga artists din na nagbigay sa kanya.”
WORDS FROM FRANCIS’ CHILDREN. Bago natapos ang first half ng interview ni Ricky kay Pia, kinausap din ni Ricky ang isa sa pinakabata sa walong mga naulilang anak ni Francis, si Arkin.
Ano ang best memory mo with your Daddy Kiko?
“We always watch movies. Lagi siyang tumatawa, naglalaro. Tapos pag nanonood siya ng TV, lagi siyang nakakatulog,” sambit ni Arkin.
Sa second half ng interview ni Ricky Lo para sa Startalk ay kasama na ni Pia ang kanyang apat na mga anak—sina Maxene, Francis Jr, Saab, at Elmo.
Pia, noong last moment ni Francis ay nasa ventilator siya. Maski na noong nag-stop na yung heart niya ay bumubulong ka pa rin sa kanya. Ano ang mga ibinubulong mo kay Francis?
“Ibinubulong ko na siyempre, ‘I love you, thank you. Thank you for everything that you’ve given me, the knowledge, the time, especially the love all these years. Thank you also for our children. Thank you for being a good provider.’ Kasi ‘yan talaga ang gusto niyang maging as a father and as a husband. So, sabi ko, ‘thank you.’ Puro pasasalamat. Sinasabi ko sa kanya na ikaw lang ang mahal ko. I love you so much. And then I could hear the monitor, na parang nagre-react siya. I’m just connecting it, but I definitely could see that,” ani Pia.
Maxene, how was your last moment with your dad?
“I’ll never forget it. I mean, just by being there kahit na hindi na namin siya nakakausap talaga. Just by seeing him, okay na sa akin yun. Enough na yun for me. Masakit siyempre, kasi ayoko siyang nakikitang nasasaktan. For anyone naman talaga na makita mo yung dad mo na ganun na nasasaktan, nahihirapan… Parang ano, hindi mo talaga alam kung ano ang dapat mong maramdaman. Dapat bang matuwa ka dahil he’s going na soon? Ganyan. But siyempre, ayaw mo.
“So, for whatever it is. Kahit na anong mangyari, kahit na ano ang napi-feel ko, I’m just so happy na I was there. Ayoko naman kasi yung mare-receive ko na lang through text or tatawagan na lang ako na it happened already. I’m so happy talaga na I was there and I saw him hanggang sa…until his last breath,” naluluhang salaysay ni Maxene.
Ano yung mga binulong mo sa iyong dad sa last moment na iyon?
“Sabi ko, binubulong ko talaga sa kanya na I’m so thankful,” sabi ni Maxene. “‘Thank you for everything. I love you so much, Papa.’ Sabi ko, ‘Sorry, sorry for everything, kasi up until now na nagre-regret ako sa mga times na hindi kita nabisita.’ Tapos, kahit yung mga times na wala pa siyang sakit, I could have gone home, tapos spent time with him. Sayang lang talaga. Yun, nag-sorry ako sa kanya. And I told him na he’s the best talaga, the best father, lahat—teacher, provider, lahat-lahat na in one whole package talaga.”
Saab, how was your last moment with your dad?
“I was there the night before. And he couldn’t really talk anymore. Mama was trying to wake him up. And he was opening his eyes. I saw him, and he looked at me. I was in the glass sa ICU, and I just hope na he saw me talaga…that he recognized me that I was there,” umiiyak na pahayag ni Saab.
How about you Elmo, what was your last moment with your dad?
“Yung nakita ko siya sa glass sa ICU. We just left school because our practice for our convocation kasi mag-e-end na yung school. Tapos, parang I was honor roll pa rin,” kuwento ni Elmo.
Francis Junior, what were your last words for your dad?
“Yung binulong ko sa kanya yung mga ano… Nag-sorry ako for my mistakes na parang hindi niya nagustuhan. And nag-thank you rin ako sa mga naitulong niya sa akin sa mga creative stuff and sa mga artistic side. At saka nag-thank you rin ako sa mga work ethics na itinuro niya sa akin.
“At saka sabi ko sa kanya, kasi hindi ko pa nasabi sa kanya, e, nung mga last few days. Pero sinabi ko sa kanya nung pinaka-last na day, sabi ko sa kanya, itutuloy ko yung photography for him. Kasi gusto niya talaga, e. Parang gusto niya rin talagang profession yun, to be a photographer. Sinabi ko sa kanya na itutuloy ko yun for him. At saka yung iba-iba niyang ventures like yung pag-design niya sa clothes and sa painting niya. Yung mga stuff na gusto niya pa sanang gawin,” malungkot na pagkuwento ni Francis Jr.
Maxene, paano yung mga kantang naiwan niya, nakabitin iyon. Are you going to continue with it?
“I will coordinate with the people in charge,” sagot niya. “Ayun, siyempre that’s gonna be a big part of the music industry and the history yung music na ginawa ng dad ko. Siyempre yun ang mga last of the few recordings na nagawa niya. And I even asked him one day when he got home, kung ano ba talaga yung gusto niyang gawin when he gets out of the hospital. Sabi niya, gusto talaga niyang mag-record.
“And then he asked me, ‘Max ha, tulungan mo ako. We’re gonna write a book together.’ Kasi hindi raw talaga biro yung sakit na nararamdaman niya raw sa cancer. So, he wants to write that book para daw malaman ng mga tao na kahit siya nahihirapan… kasi people see him as a strong icon, as an idol. But he wanted to let the people to know that he’s like them and nahihirapan din siya.
“Yun, sayang kasi hindi na namin nagawa. But then, nandun na yung intention na gusto talaga niyang makatulong sa mga taong may sakit. Gusto talaga niyang ipaalam kung ano nga ba talaga itong karamdaman na ito. So, yun,” mahabang paliwanag ni Maxene.
Pia, was there ever a time na nag-break down ka? Ano yung mga pinag-usapan n’yo?
“I said from the start nga na when he was diagnosed, we just grieved for two days. And then after that, we composed ourselves. Tapos, parang we also do a productive thing, even dun sa medicine thing. The hardest thing to do was to tell the children. But you know, even on my own, I have to face it. I have to do it right and also to tell our children na we will fight with him all the way.”
Speaking about your children, did you assure Francis na kaya mo, na kakayanin mo?
“Oo, kasi ang daming nagugulat kasi nga they’re eight nga,” sabi ni Pia. “Our offsprings are eight but dalawa lang naman yung maliliit, there’s nine and eight. Then there’s Elmo, a teenager, he’s 14. But like the older one, the eldest has his own children, then the other is working already. Then, Max works. Francis Jr. is almost graduating. Saab is also graduating. Max has her thesis na lang to go. So, I mean everything was like okay na. Matagal na rin yung life namin together.
“So, I assured na… Francis actually told me na, ‘Thank you, you’re a good mother. And I like the way you brought them up.’ So, he likes it na parang I made them independent so that they can fend for themsleves. In a way, I assured him also na I showed him all these things na maganda yung palaki ko sa kanila.”
Francis Junior, did you promise your dad that you will take care of your mom, as well as he did?
“Kasi, yun talaga ang sinabi ni Papa, e. You should always respect your parents. Give honor to them. So, in this case, talagang tutulungan ko yung family, and lalo na si Mama kasi nag-iisa na lang siya. So, kailangan talaga niya ng help from us,” ani Francis Jr.
Elmo, if your dad is in front of you now, what will you tell him?
“I’ll tell him na I’m happy he’s my dad. We’re gonna miss you. And we love you,” sabi ni Elmo.
How about you Saab and Francis Junior?
“Papa, I’m happy that you have shown so much parang more than any other people can achieve. You have done so much, not just for the family but also for the whole country. I really love you. Our family loves you,” sabi naman ni Saab.
Ayon naman kay Francis Jr., “I love you so much and I miss you. Thank you for everythng you taught us.”
Nagbigay rin ng message si Maxene para sa kanyang Papa.
“Papa, I love you and I miss you so much. I know that wherever you are right now, you’re happy and you’re at peace. I’m happy also. But siyempre, masakit pa rin kasi sana nandito pa rin kayo. I’m trying to accept it already. But it’s very hard. I miss you so much. And I promise you that I will do whatever I can to make you proud. And thank you rin for Lolo and Lola [Pancho Magalona and Tita Duran], you kept on in this industry. I will also do the same na aanuhin ko yung name natin. I’m gonna make you proud. I love you so much.”
Pia, was there anything that you haven’t told Francis about?
“Ricky, I don’t think so. I also want to say that my relationship with him is so close that we are one na. Our relationship is flawed, nothing is perfect. We’re not perfect but we are perfect for each other. I always see that we’re worthy of each other. I’m glad I had my life with him. I’m so happy that I am a part of his life.
“Maybe when this is all over, when all the people that are coming are gone and I’m alone, it’s just you and me again. It’s always that way. Thank you so much,” huling sabi ni Pia.
