Click "read more" for full entry
Multiawarded film auteur Mario O'Hara passed away on Tuesday due to complications from leukemia. That day, I received a call from my boyfriend JR, his voice was shaking and eventually he was able to say the one thing I was scared to hear, "Wala na si Tito."
Not a lot of my friends know this but yes, JR and Direk Mario are related. I don't just look up to the veteran director as a well-respected figure in Philippine cinema. My deep admiration comes from the fact that I was given the opportunity to know him as JR's uncle. I see him during family gatherings and at occasional random weekends when JR and his family would visit his house which is about a 15-minute drive from their home.
When I got the phone call, I could tell JR was holding back his tears. He was the only person there when it happened. JR has been taking care of his Tito and was by his side almost every night. Though I would have wanted to go and be there for him right that minute, JR asked me to wait until the situation was under control. A lot has been going on in the hospital at that time, add to that the press outside clamoring for a scoop.
I followed his request and waited for his text updates instead. Since last month when Direk Mario was first brought to the hospital (and was rushed back this June), I never got the chance to visit no matter how much I force JR to allow me. Their whole family wanted to make things really private. Everything I know about his condition and illness, I really had to keep to myself because the family and most of all, Direk Mario, didn't like media attention.
While everyone was talking about Dolphy's health condition, Direk Mario battled cancer in silence. That's just how he really was. I was quite puzzled why someone working for the entertainment industry would live such a private and quiet life.
