Junior Kilat’s Budoy Marabiles passes away at 54

Errol “Budoy” Marabiles, frontman and vocalist of the Bisaya reggae band Junior Kilat, passed away yesterday, December 4, 2025, at the age of 54.

Budoy’s business partner, a co-owner of Sigbin Haus – a musicians’ bar at Eden Resort in Santander, south of Cebu – confirmed the sad news on Facebook.

“Today at 3 p.m., my partner at Sigbin Haus and best friend for almost 20 years, Errol ‘Budoy’ Marabiles, suddenly left us. I could write a ton about our good memories, but right now, I feel just so empty and lonely,” wrote the unidentified owner.

Junior Kilat has yet to issue a collective statement about his passing as of press time. However, one of its members, bassist Tiano Evangelista, changed his profile photo to black in memory of his bandmate.

Musicians across the regional music scene have expressed their condolences. Vispop singer Kurt Fick wrote on Facebook, “Gone way too soon. Rest in power, Budoy!” Meanwhile, Mindanao rap collective Morobeats shared, “Rest in Peace Kapatid at pakikiramay sa pamilya at banda.”

A native of Samar, Marabiles formed Junior Kilat in the early 2000s in Cebu City, where he was studying at the University of the Philippines Cebu. The band became known for local hits such as “Kawatan,” “Ako Si M16,” “Buwad Suka Sili,” and “Sigbin Dub.” They released multiple albums, three of which are available to stream on Spotify: Party Pipol Ur on Dub TV (2005), Enrique de Malaca (2008), and Gugma Biga (2018).

Marabiles also released solo music under the stage name budoyX, including a remixed version of “Kawatan,” as well as tracks like “Positibo,” “SUBASSKO,” and “Babaylan.”

He was a familiar face on Cebu television, hosting “Ismol Tym” on RCTV36, before gaining national recognition as a contestant on the inaugural “Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Edition” in 2006, where he was a housemate with Cebuana newscaster Angela Calina.

Marabiles became a memorable housemate during his 49-day stay, finishing just one spot shy of that season’s Big 4: winner Keanna Reeves, second placer John Prats, third placer Bianca Gonzalez (now a PBB host), and fourth placer Zanjoe Marudo.

Marabiles later contributed to the show’s soundtrack, including “Budoy Ako,” the Bisaya version of the theme song “Pinoy Ako” by Orange and Lemons, and “Maligo Na Jam,” a poem he wrote while inside the PBB house.

Beyond music and television, Marabiles was also a known activist. He often performed at rallies, including recent anti-corruption protests in Cebu against ghost flood control projects. During the nationwide protests on September 30, he performed his song “Original Sigbin” at Fuente Osmeña Circle as a form of protest.