Dominic Ochoa remembers Rico Yan on his 24th death anniversary.
RICO YAN DEATH – In an interview, actor Dominic Ochoa recalls his final moments with him and shares what really happened.
It has been 24 years since the well-loved actor Rico Yan died. He was 27 years old when he passed, and thousands of people attended his funeral at Manila Memorial Park in Parañaque City. Up until this day, his fans and supporters still continue to visit him in his resting place.
Among the people who were with him before he died was Dominic Ochoa, his best friend. In an interview, Dominic became emotional as he recalled the final moments he shared with Yan.
It was their last trip together, a trip that was planned by the actor himself during a difficult time in his life. He was going through a heartbreak from a breakup with Claudine Barretto and wanted a break. Rico organized an out-of-town getaway with friends. He paid for everything, and all his friends had to do was pack their bags and be with him.
They went to Palawan, and during his last night, they all spent a good time together as they shared meals and drinks. Ochoa remembered Rico expressing how happy he felt, even saying it was one of the best days of his life. He was so happy that he could die, and he did not expect his words to come true.
“We had a few drinks–– he drank, definitely. He was depressed. I remember going home, going back to the villa, sinabi niya na ‘this is the best day of my life, pwede na ako’,” Dominic shared.
Rico, who had been dealing with personal struggles at the time, chose to sleep separately that night due to his sleep condition. The following morning, when Dominic attempted to wake him, he discovered that his friend had already passed away.
“When I woke up at 9:45 and tried to wake him up, oops, he was, well to go straight to the point, Rico passed,” he said. The hardest part for him was calling his family to deliver the painful news.
Yan died on March 29, 2002, at the age of 27 due to acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis.
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