Joey nakakapagbiro na uli tungkol kay Francis

Death, despite the morbid thoughts attached to it, can be a funny subject to talk about.

Kilalang komedyante pero seryosong tao sa tunay na buhay si Joey de Leon. Ayon na rin sa kanyang kuwento, nasa taping siya ng Mel & Joey when the news about the death of Francis Magalona last Saturday (officially at 12:20 p.m. broke out. Humabol siya sa Eat Bulaga (EB), pero umiiyak na siya sa sasakyan.

Gabi that same day, noong medyo nahimas­masan na si Tito Joey, who managed to intrigue the viewers of GMA 7’s late-night news program Saksi (sa kanyang interbyu ni Vicky Morales) that he had stored in his cellphone inbox Kiko’s last text message. Tito Joey, however, declined to reveal what it was.

Kinabukasan sa Eat Bulaga, was a far less grieving day for the noontime gang. At one point, sa pagtitipon daw ng EB Dabarkads ay nagsalita si Tito Joey, citing the deaths of at least three EB hosts in their 40s: Helen Vela, followed by Rio Diaz, at ito na ngang si Francis whose demise had each taken place before such memorable anniversaries of Eat Bulaga.

Following that pattern daw, ani Tito Joey, huwag naman daw sanang may sumunod na EB host sa susunod na anibersaryo ng programa na nasa ganoon ding age bracket. “Habang sinasabi ko ’yon, nakikita ko yung ibang mga kasamahan ko na nakatungo,” pabirong pag-amin sa kapilyuhan ng komedyante sa kanyang joke. “Pero wala ’yon, di ba? May kasabihan nga na it comes in threes,” sabay bawi ni tito Joey.

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Batay na rin sa mga kuwentong naririnig ko, I am inclined to believe that Manila Vice Mayor Isko Moreno is not just a handsome face holed up in his office. Mula mismo ito kay ’Nay Lolit Solis who once had an appointment with Isko at the Manila Hotel. Late nang dumating si ’Nay Lolit, blame it on the horrible traffic, na nang dinatnan daw niya ang aktor-pulitiko ay nakatulog na ito sa lobby sa paghihintay.

 Puring-puri ni ’Nay Lolit kung paanong isa nang epektibong kausap si Isko, proficient in both Filipino and English sa pagpapa­liwanag nito ng tungkol sa kanilang paksa. And it was only recently did I discover that unknown to many, natapos na pala ni Isko ang kanyang course na public administration sa Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila and is now on his second year in law proper.

 Admittedly, that was not my impression of Isko until I heard him speak myself. Malayo na nga ang narating ng dating Tondo boy na naispatan sa lamay. More than what is so-called reversed of fate, namuhunan si Isko ng diskarte, abilidad at determinasyon to get to where he is now and hopefully far beyond.