BY MARIO E. BAUTISTA

THE tear-filled necrological services for Rudy Fernandez on Wednesday night started at 9:10 p.m. and ended at 12 midnight. The emcees were Lani Mercado and Ricky Davao. Those who gave song numbers were Pops Fernandez and Ogie Alcasid ("You Raise Me Up"), The Company ("Seasons of Love" from Rent), Regine Velasquez ("Somewhere," title of a film Rudy made with wife Lorna Tolentino), Jamie Rivera ("In My Life"), Christopher de Leon ("Amazing Grace," he’s a knockout) and Tirso Cruz III (his own composition that’s a tribute to Daboy.)

Those who delivered eulogies were Marie Fernandez (Daboy’s sister who talked of how caring and accommodating he was), Domy de Guzman (his best friend out of showbiz who helped him in his investments), his three best friends from showbiz Phillip Salvador (who said Daboy won the race and kept his faith), Sen. Bong Revilla (who said Daboy was a peacemaker who was instrumental in patching things up between him and Sen. Jinggoy when he sided with Gloria Arroyo), Sen. Jinggoy Estrada (who gave one of the best sharings, spiced up with comic punchlines), Sharon Cuneta (who rushed home from the showing of "Caregiver" in Europe), Daboy’s sons Renz (who read a letter), Ralph (who looked so nervous as he was shaking) and Mark Anthony (who also read a letter and later had difficulty reading his own handwriting), his manager Lolit Solis (a short but enlightening story about Daboy) and the widow, Lorna Tolentino (who looks so brave and composed, so beautiful in her moment of grief).

Later we told Lorna the pain will be more intense when it sinks in to her the impact of her loss, as we ourselves have experienced with the passing away of our wife. LT said: "Pero ang dami ko pang gagawin, ang dami-dami pa kasi niyang mga ibinilin sa akin."

Sharon told us: "Kuya, bakit ganun? Sunod-sunod ang nawawala sa showbiz. Sana matigil na ito."

We didn’t know what to tell her but we thanked her personally for all the help she gave us while we were grieving, including the inspiring text messages she kept on sending for weeks after our wife’s funeral to us and our daughter, Hannah, who lives with her own family in Cagayan de Oro City.

We didn’t know Sen. Jinggoy is such a smooth speaker. He told many personal stories about Daboy. When he was detained in Tanay and later, Veteran’s Hospital, Daboy would come in the evening carrying so much food. Later Daboy, told him: "You’re gaining so much weight." He said: "It’s your fault. Kung anu-anong pagkain ang dinadala mo rito." The next day, Daboy brought him boxing gloves and a punching bag for him to exercise with. When he still wouldn’t use it, Daboy brought in a trainer to help him train, but to no avail.

Daboy also made "paramdam" to him. One night, while in his car on the way to Heritage Park, the window of his car went up and down. He told his driver to stop playing with the window and the driver said he’s not doing anything, so he felt it must’ve been the playful Daboy who’s playing another joke on him. In closing, he said he wouldn’t mind Daboy visiting him, then added: "But text me first so I’d be warned. If you want to tell me something, sabihin mo na lang kina Bong or Phillip at sila na lang ang bahalang magsabi sa’kin."

We weren’t aware that Sharon was that close to Daboy. We knew they were paired in "Kung Kailangan Mo Ako" in 1993, but we didn’t know that it was Daboy and the late FPJ who convinced her to be the Board Chair of the actors’ guild at the time Daboy was the president. In the meetings they attended, Sharon felt Daboy treated her as one of the boys and she considered him as her male best friend. Shawie must have shed a ton of tears while doing her sharing.

Lolit, in turn, revealed that he got close to Daboy as she was then the PRO of Alma Moreno. When the two broke up, she remained close to Daboy but when he hooked up with Lorna Tolentino later, she was hostile to LT and wouldn’t talk to LT at all. She even attacked her in her columns. Daboy brought her to Singapore, without her knowing LT would join them in that trip. She didn’t talk to LT at all during the entire stay there. They only became close to each other when LT gave birth to Ralph and made her one of the ninangs.

So many stars were at the Heritage that night: couples Annabelle Rama and Eddie Gutierrez, Pops Fernandez and Jomari Yllana, Dingdong Dantes and Karylle, Boyet and Sandy Andolong, Amy Austria and hubby Duke, Pip and wife Lyn Ynchausti, Sen. Jinggoy and wife Precy, Rochelle Barrameda and Jimwell Stevens, Cesar Montano (but minus Sunshine Cruz), seasoned stars Delia Razon, Perla Bautista, Celia Rodriguez, Gina Alajar, Jaclyn Jose, Azenith Briones, Isabel Rivas, Anna Ledesma, younger stars Ruffa Gutierrez, Piolo Pascual (Lolit quipped when Piolo kissed her: "Close na kami ni Piolo, o."), Paolo Contis, Mark Herras, Alfred Vargas, Valerie Concepcion, directors Carlitos Siguion Reyna, Mac Alejandre, Baldo Marro, Pagsanjan Mayor ER Ejercito (who’s the current actors guild prexy and gave a plaque of recognition to Daboy’s widow) and many more. You can really see and feel that Rudy Fernandez was one of the most well-loved stars in the local movie firmament.

Daboy was laid to rest on June 12, Independence Day, at 3 p.m. after the 1 p.m. mass and service, at the Heritage memorial plot he bought for the late members of his family, including his two older brothers who passed away as kids. All his relatives and close friends wore white. Dozens of white doves were freed into the air as his remains were laid to rest.