Everybody was shocked including award-winning TV, movie and stage actor, writer and director Frank G. Rivera when the news broke out that the iconic actor Ronaldo Valdez had died Sunday, December 17.
He was 76 years old.
It was the Quezon City Police Department that announced the death of Ronaldo, Ronald James Dulaca Gibbs in real life, a circumstance that also got the shock out of Frank.
Rivera didn't waste a moment and he reminisced about the many instances he had with Valdez.
Here's Frank's excerpts from his ode to Ronaldo:
Pagkakaibigan di pa rin kumupas
Inalaala pa ang maraming danas
Kamakailan lang tayo ay nagkita
Sa Manila Hotel at naka-"wheel chair" ka
Nagulat nga ako't nang binati kita
Ang sabi mo ay "Frank!" at kilala mo pa.
Mga alaalang di malilimutan
Ang sa akin ngayon iyong iniwanan
Ikaw at si Dindo, pasasalamatan
Karanasan natin di matatawaran (Friendship that never fades away, Recalling many experiences, We just saw each other at Manila Hotel where you were wheelchair-bound, You still knew and greeted me, Memories which cannot be forgotten which you all left me, You and Dindo (Fernando), I said thank you for the memories)."
Rivera said that he met Ronaldo through the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) and later in "Balintataw" TV show when they did an Albert Florentino's play, separately, with Lino Brocka and Lupita Kashiwahara, formerly Lupita Aquino Concio.
Ronaldo was survived by wife Maria Fe Ilagan and children Janno and Melissa Gibbs.
#RonaldoValdes #RIP #CelebrityDeaths #OpinYon #WeTakeAStand