It was a series of deaths in show business.
Stage, movie and television actor, writer and former teacher Domingo Landicho, popularly known as Mang Domeng (spelled with a letter e) by his peers succumbed to heart attack last week.
It was announced by his wife, fellow actor Edna Mae Landicho. Mang Domeng used to write his column for OpinYon during the early days of the paper more than a decade ago.
Two days before his demise, Mel Francisco, retired actor and dad of the beleaguered action star John Regala died of a heart attack in a hospital in Los Baños.
According to Mel’s former girlfriend, actress and singer Nina Sara (whom he has two beautiful daughters), Francisco was rushed to a still unnamed hospital in Los Baños early last week.
“Sumakit daw ang tiyan, tapos, dinala sa ospital. Tapos, bumuti ang pakiramdam kasi nakakain pa daw ng marami, tas ‘yon, (He had a stomach pain so he was hospitalized. Then, he felt better because he was able to eat a lot, then, he suffered) na-heart attack,” stated Nina in her text messages.
Mel got involved with another woman younger than him, informed Sara.
“Sa Los Baños sila nakatira (They live in Los Baños),” said Nina.
“Hindi ko lang alam kung naipagbili na nila ang kanilang bahay (I don’t know if they have already sold their house),” she added.
After her break-up with Mel, Nina went on her own and later settled in Baguio City where she is now based.
Sara hoped John would pay his last respects to his dad although as of this writing, no details yet of the funeral wake.
“Sana naman, makadalaw si John sa kanya (I hope he would visit Mel in the wake),” she confided.
When he was still alive, Mel said John wasn’t his son but Regala wouldn’t bear grudge against him.
“Kahit na itinatakwil niya ako, siya pa rin ang ama ko (Even if he disowned me, he’s still my dad),” John claimed.
However, morbid, Nina has observed something amazing in Mel.
“Si Mel kahit patay na ang guwapo pa rin niya sa edad niyang (Even if Mel is already dead he’s still handsome at) 78 years old,” she quipped.
Before the news of Francisco’s death broke out, veteran actor Orestes Ojeda was declared dead by his showbiz friends and colleagues from his family’s announcement.
Orestes, Luis Pagalilauan in real life died of pancreatic cancer at 68.
Ojeda, who became more famous when he did the role of a security guard who killed his unfaithful wife in “Scorpio Nights” started his acting career with Sining Pilipino as one of the cast of “Zoom Zoom Superman” which starred Ariel Ureta in 1973.