Rico Yan laid to rest
Mourners and kibitzers, almost all in white garb, flocked to the funeral of young matinee idol Rico Yan at Manila Memorial Park Thursday.
A mass attended by Yan's family and friends was celebrated at the De La Salle Gym at past 9 o'clock a.m. before the funeral procession.
Yan's mother, Sita, said she was "touched" by the outpouring of support and love for her son.
"I would like to say [thank you] to everybody who came to tell me how Rico has touched them, whether it's something that he said or something that he did," she said.
The elder Yan said she did not cry earlier because she was still trying to understand the reason behind the untimely death of her son who was at the peak of his career.
Yan, 27, died of hemorrhagic pancreatitis on Good Friday at Dos Palmas Resort in Palawan.
Catholic priest Tito Caluag, Yan's spiritual adviser, narrated how the actor was so excited to come back to Manila for an Easter lunch with his family.
He lauded the "full life" that Yan lived.
"Here's a wounded person who struggled to heal. He did not run from the pain nor did he stop. He carried his cross without complaining, without any bitterness towards anybody," Caluag said.
One of Yan's plans, Caluag said, was to star in a project that would have been co-produced by the Ateneo de Manila and Star Cinema.
During the funeral procession, Yan's fans tried to have a closer look at their idol's funeral car.
Security was tight along the streets where the procession passed.
At 12:30 p.m., Yan was laid to rest after family and friends queued to offer prayers and flowers.
Yan's ABS-CBN fellow Whattamen stars, Dominic Ochoa and Marvin Agustin, and MTB stars were present to offer their sympathies. Yan's erstwhile girlfriend, Claudine Barretto, was seen at the cemetery. She, however, did not approach the tomb and left early.
Yan's elder brother Bobby thanked his late brother's fans.
"Thank you to those who stayed under the sun, queued orderly and offered prayers and flowers," he said in an interview with the ABS-CBN News.