Like a thief in the night, death paid matinee idol Rico Yan a surprise visit early morning of Good Friday, March 29, 2002 at the Dos Palmas resort in the paradise province of Palawan, Philippines, where he was on Holy Week vacation with five friends.
Rico just turned 27 last March 14. The apparent cause of his death was cardiac arrest following a rupture of the pancreas, more commonly known as bangungot.
Two people who were with Rico on his last night on Earth were his Magandang Tanghali Bayan co-host and Whattamen co-star Dominic Ochoa and Ochoa's girlfriend actress Janna Victoria.
According to Dominic, the group attended a party the night before and they went back to their cottage at around 2 am. Friday. The five friends slept together in one big room at the second floor of a cottage, with Rico occupying the loft because he was a snorer. At around 6 am., Rico was heard groaning but his companions dismissed it as mere snoring. When Dominic tried to wake Rico up at around 9:40 am., he found him stiff in his pajamas, lifeless. They were to go to the nearby Snake Island.
The beautiful Dos Palmas resort had just reopened after it was closed since May last year following the kidnapping of a foreign group including the American missionary couple Martin and Gracia Burnham who are still held hostage to this day by the Abu Sayyaf bandits.
"The doctor said he may have been dead for hours," Ochoa said.
A doctor friend who was also vacationing with his family in Dos Palmas applied CPR to Rico.
Physicians led by Dr. Rosalie Reyes from the Seventh Day Adventist Hospital in Puerto Princesa rushed to Dos Palmas.
"We tried to resuscitate him starting from his room in the resort up to the hospital, but to no avail, " Reyes said in a phone interview. He was already dead. We recomended an autopsy."
Rico's body was rushed to the Seventh Day Adventist Hospital by motorboat. He was declared DOA (dead on arrival).
"There was no premonition at all that he was going to die," sobbed Dominic who has been like a brother to Rico and their MTB/Whattamen co-star Marvin Agustin, said to be vacationing in Bangkok, Thailand with his family. During the party at a videoke bar, Rico enjoyed himself just like everybody else. He even sang 10 songs."
Rico sang Got to Believe in Magic by David Pomeranz, and crooned Falling for You by Jamie Rivera, perhaps for his ex-girlfriend actress Claudine Barretto whom he broke up with three weeks ago.
"He was in high spirits,"recalled GMA-7 newscaster Arnold Clavio, who had jamed with Yan at Dos Palmas. "He sang other songs and we wrapped up around 4 am. He didn't have any premonitions (of his death) at all.
Reporter Joel Contrivida of radio station dyPR conducted what was to be Yan's last interview at the airport in Puerto Princesa City. Asked about his relationship with Barretto, he said: "Let's not dwell on that. We rest during Holy Week."
"Let us pray for our friend. He passed away already and let us not believe in (wild) speculations surrounding his death," Ochoa said as he doused speculation that Yan died of an overdose of the illegal Ecstasy drug that is allegedly used by some people in the film industry these nowadays. "Whoever is saying that (he took drugs) should (be the one to) die!" exclaimed Ochoa.
Showbiz insiders including director Olive Lamasan who worked with Yan in two movies said Rico was never a user.
"I worked with him for eight months when we filmed Got to Believe and we talked about life on the set," Lamasan said.
"I will always remember Rico as a perfect gentleman, intelligent, extremely witty, an enthusiastic student who was always willing to discover and learn new things.
"He was very very much against drugs and he took pride in not having tried drugs in any form.
"He was a staunch supporter of the anti-drug campaign."
Indeed, the Department of Education appointed Yan as the representative for the youth's anti-drug campaign. He even had his own nationwide Pinoy Yan! movement that effectively promotes positive values to the youth.
Lamasan has other memories: "I will never forget that he cooked his special soup for me last Valentines day and placed it in a basket with a rose. He made my day special"
Later at 5 pm. that afternoon, Rico's body was flown to Manila on a Sea Air plane chartered by Meralco and ABS-CBN with whom Rico was under contract. It was Rico's father, Robby, and brother Bobby (co-host of ABS-CBN's daily morning show Alas Singko y Media) who accompanied the body.
The aircraft landed in Manila at 6:45 pm. The Yan's, who refused to have the body autopsied at the Adventist Hospital, brought the body to Camp Crame to be autopsied there instead and later to the Arlington Funeral Chapel for embalming.
Bobby told an ANC Channel interviewer that he noticed some scratches on Rico's face, so the family requested the autopsy to rule out foul play.
The doctor said that Rico ate so much seafood during the party, downed with drinks. Senator Noli de Castro, who was also in Dos Palmas, said he only saw Rico drink softdrinks or soda.
Another doctor said that Rico's heart was discovered to have "cracks" (lamat).
"I'd like to inform the public that the death of Rico Yan was of natural cause. According to doctors, it is acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis resulting in cardiac arrest. In short, he died in his sleep," said National Capital Region Police Office chief Director Edgar Aglipay, Yan's uncle. Aglipay added that the pancreas "could have given way after scuba diving and consuming a lot of food later."
Aglipay said two medical teams, one from the PNP (Philippine National Police) and from St. Luke's Hospital, conducted the autopsy on Yan's body shortly after arrival in Manila Friday night.
Most people reacted with shock to Rico's sudden death. Only a month ago, his last movie, Star Cinema's Got to Believe, drew SRO (standing room only) crowds in theaters all over the country.
But Yan was also a business minded young man who made his millions even away from the cameras. He owned the restaurants Java Hut, Tequila Joe's and Timbuktu. He also owned Pearl Shakes which has 150 stalls in Metro Manila.
His expressive face and boyish appeal enhanced the sales of products like Greenwich Pizza, Nissin's Eggnog, Rainforrest Mineral Water, Talk N' Text, Master's Eskinol, Molecules shirts and many more.
He made girls giggle playing wholesome romantic leads in movies like Paano ang Puso ko, Dahil Mahal na Mahal Kita, Radio Romance, and Flames. He starred in soap operas like Mula sa Puso and Sa Dulo ng Walang Hanggang.
He even wrote a newspaper column From Boys to Men in the Manila Bulletin.
Rico's mother, Teresita, said she still was able to talk to her son Thursday afternoon. Rico called her up to tell her that he was having the time of his life in the beautiful province. "This is the greatest day of my life!" Rico told her.
Rico is the third of four children, grandson of retired AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) chief of staff General and former Ambassador to St. James, Manuel Yan.
"When we got together once or twice a month on Sundays for family reunions, Rico made it a point to be there. He was pilyo (naughty) but very thoughtful," said the General. "Wherever he went he always brought a pasalubong for me and his Lola."
He finished Business Administration Marketing/Management at La Salle five years ago when he was already in showbiz, launched by ABS-CBN Talent Centers as member of Star Circle Batch seven years ago.
His remains lie at the Divine Child Chapel in La Salle Greenhills. From yesterday until tomorrow morning Rico's family requested non-family members for privacy and to let them have quiet moments with Rico for the last time.
His friends, followers and fans will later be given their chance to pay their last respects. But the family may have difficulty keeping out the fans as there's already very long lines of mourning fans in the streets leading to the school chapel.
Burial will be on Thursday April 4, at the Manila Memorial Park in Paranaque City after a 9 am. mass.