Coincidence

Sa Legend o sa Youtube Sensations? Sa'n Ka? Kampihan Na!

Last night was one of the most confusing nights I have on Twitter. It started when a fellow blogger tweeted that Rodolfo Quizon, more popularly known as the Comedy King Dolphy, passed away at 8:34 PM. "It came from an anonymous source," I said. "Maybe he received a hoax." Then a tweet from ABSCBN newscaster Karen Davila came. "We will miss you, Manong Dolphy." Now we became sad. That came from no less than a renowned broadcaster. Then Yahoo Philippines stunned the Tweeps (Twitter People) when they tweeted, "Don't believe on the tweets. Dolphy's still alive!" Kim Atienza, another ABSCBN newscaster, told his followers not to believe on the feed of a fake ABSCBN Twitter account. Karen reiterated that she got the news from Dolphy's wife Zsa-Zsa Padilla. I didn't know what to do. Should I finish up my new The 10 Electrifying post on my sports blog? I waited for GMA's news instead (with Dolphy affiliated to ABSCBN and TV5, I would rather get the official news from GMA, a neutral side). Then it was official. Dolphy Quizon died half a month shy of his 84th birthday.

But it so happened that it was Michelle Linggayu and Jam Sebastian's 50th monthsary (Wow, ah!). The real-life couple, popularly known as Youtube sensations JaMich, posted that it was a mere coincidence and said their condolences to the Quizons. Curiously, instead of getting sympathy from their fans, it created a buzz because many thought that's unethical for a tweet. Some even called the pair famewhores.

I don't stand here to support JaMich. I'm here to tell all of you, from the newborn haters to even the likers since the start of their road to fame, that you should have not taken the coincidence as a big deal. Of course we all mourn Dolphy's death, but should we even get to a point where you want JaMich dead too? OK. Maybe they're wrong to include the coincidence there; I also understand that you (mis)interpreted the tweet in that way, but that doesn't mean you turn your sadness to anger. In fact, there are other occasions nationwide that coincided with Quizon's death--birthdays, anniversaries, etc. Of course they would tweet about it. They might also say, "Sad day. My (occasion) coincided with Dolphy's death." Would their friends rant about it? More likely, nope.

Here's Jam's latest tweet: "If we think about worldly ways, we would have been so upset. We lift them up to You, Lord. I hope they will know You." They admitted his fault on not further reiterating his tweet, but he, instead of throwing back words at the commentators, he let go and let God. Sebastian let the Lord enlighten the haters. The actor, a Christian like his girlfriend, kept the promise of Philippians 4:7 (And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus).

If you think this is all about JaMich, I also have a touching story on Dolphy. I attended a church service 3 years ago, and his son, Rodolfo Jr., aka Dolphy Jr., was the guest preacher. The younger Quizon shared his story from a riotous showbiz career to how God transformed him. But the conclusion moved me, even now that his father gave his final bow. It was at a restaurant somewhere in Quezon City, according to Dolphy Jr. He brought his dad along, and the younger Quizon was the keynote speaker. He shared the Gospel along the way, and the best part was about to come. Dolphy Sr. was touched with the Word, and right there Rodolfo Quizon Sr. came to know God. Right now, I'm pretty sure Dolphy Sr. is up there together with God. THNKS FR TH MMRS, Pidol. See you there!

PS: Do not judge others. Try always to encourage them. If you rebuke, rebuke in LOVE! Be gentle with them as Christ is with you. Love one another. -Jesus#Followers (@Jesusfollowsu)

Another PS: It's not an accident that someone's death came at the same time as another's celebration. God allowed such events to coincide so that we could realize that we need to live our lives to the fullest. Dolphy lived his life to the fullest by using his acting skills to make us laugh.

Here's one of the greatest Dolphy scenes. Grab your popcorns, and prepare to laugh out loud.