On the afternoon of July 10, Epy Quizon planned to bring his Best Actor trophy to his father Dolphy, who was then confined at the intensive care unit of the Makati Medical Center.

The younger Quizon was part of the ensemble cast that won in the 1stSineng Pambansa for the movie Ang Mga Kidnaper Ni Ronnie Lazaro.

The last time that Epy shared a Best Acting plum was in 2000 when he, his brother Eric Quizon and father Dolphy won in the Brussels International Film Festival for their role in the movie Markova: Comfort Gay.

During the presscon of the Sineng Pambansa held at the AIM conference center in Makati City yesterday, Epy revealed that his father has been communicating with them by mouthing words since Dolphy lost his voice after undergoing a tracheostomy.

“Makikita mo kasi ang buka ng bibig niya, ‘uwi.’ No voice is coming out because of the [tracheostomy] but you would see his mouth moving,” he described.

Epy even recalled that on July 9, his father underwent dialysis. “Kahapon nga, ang daldal niya. Usually, after dialysis madaldal siya. That’s usually late in the morning.”

He also reported that Dolphy was faring well against his 12thbout with pneumonia. 

Despite these improvements, Epy recognized the precarious condition of his father’s health.

In fact, he warned members of the press: “The information I tell you now might not be the real information that is happening right there. Kasi every moment is a different update, every hour is a different update, that’s why we have to clump it together and give it on a daily basis.”

Unfortunately, Comedy King Dolphy died on July 10 at 8:34 p.m.

According to the official statement of the Makati Medical Center, Dolphy died "due to multiple organ failure secondary to complications brought about by severe pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and acute renal failure."

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How does Epy want his father to be remembered?

“A lot of people hail him as a king, he just wants to be a jester.

“Siya gusto lang niyang magpatawa. My dad is a simple guy.”

NATIONAL ARTIST AWARD. There has been public clamor to name Dolphy as a National Artist but the National Commission for Culture and the Arts explained that this a lengthy process that takes years to complete.