I was never really an FPJ fan but my respect and admiration for him grew as I read and heard about what a good man he was and how he was loved by so many. I actually rooted for FPJ's success during the first few weeks of his campaign for the presidency, where his battlecry was Food Peace and Justice (FPJ) for all. I believed in his sincerity, his humility and how he could have just easily enjoyed a peaceful retirement with his wife instead of getting involved in the world of dirty politics which he did in his desire to help the Filipino masses. While he was often ridiculed by intellectual snobs because he was "merely just a highschool dropout", does GMA's PhD in economics automatically make her a better leader especially if she does not have the trust and support of her people? While his critics ridiculed him for his capability to speak only the native toungue and not being able to speak English, isn't it ironic that he was also accused of being American and the legitimacy of his Filipino citizenship questioned? (I know someone who gloated at the thought of FPJ being president.."He cant even speak English!" ...and then this same person would also later on say that "FPJ cannot be president of the Philippines because he is not a Filipino citizen! He is American!") But my views about him changed when I felt he was starting to let himself be puppeteered by infamously corrupt politicians and when accounts of his unfriendliness with the media during his campaign sorties filled the airwaves. I, too, started to look down on him and for that, I feel really sorry for misjudging the man.

I went to his wake and was among the thousands of people who lined up to pay their last respect for the man they fondly called "da king". I stood in line for 3 hours like the rest of the people to see him one last time. The outpouring of grief was overwhelming and as you could see in the few pictures I took, the people's eyes were filled with so much sorrow and sadness for the death of their king.

Related photos:
FPJ's "Victory March"
Eleksyon 2004