The solemn observance of Good Friday 2002 was abruptly disrupted when news broke out that Rico, at a tender age of 27, died in his sleep at the Dos Palmas Resort in Palawan.
Rico was reportedly at the resort to shoot a TV commercial for a local telecoms company. According to a news item filed by the Manila Bulletin on March 29, 2002, the police report filed by Southern Tagalog police director, Chief Supt. Domingo Reyes, Rico's body was found inside his room at around 9 a.m. by his friend, actors Dominic Ochoa and Janna Victoria.
Dominic and Janna were said to have come looking for Rico when the latter failed to show up for their scheduled rendezvous at the resort lobby. Rico was reportedly rushed to the Seventh Day Adventist Hospital, where doctors failed to revive him. A later autopsy revealed the matinee idol had died of acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis leading to cardiac arrest.
With initial investigations by the Palawan police yielding no signs of foul play in Rico's sudden death, his older brother, Bobby, flew to the town to pick up his brother's body. A televised funeral rites in Manila for the fallen youth idol was said to have been attended by an estimate 10,000 people.
Rico's remains was laid to rest at the Manila Memorial Park. Rico, however, lives through through his 11 movies (including the classic "Got 2 Believe"), four soap operas (including "Mula sa Puso"), sitcoms like "Whattamen" (with Dominic and Marvin Agustin), and variety shows such as "Magandang Tanghali Bayan."
Fr. Tito Caluag II, S.J., Rico's spiritual adviser, recalls a quote from the actor:
"If we can teach young people to work hard, to persevere - to endure the pain - in making something out of themselves and in pursuing a dream, they will surely have character. And when our generation takes over the leadership of this country, imagine, father, we will be a nation of character!"
Source: Rowena Joy A. Sanchez, Manila Bulletin
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