Indie film writer and director Roy Sevilla Ho was found dead inside the townhouse that he is renting in Mandaluyong City at around 10 p.m., Wednesday night, January 10.
Ho is best known for his Cinemalaya film entry, Silong, topbilled by Piolo Pascual and Rhian Ramos in 2015.
In a phone interview with GMA News Online today, January 11, Ho’s nephew, Patrick Mabilog, quoted initial police reports saying that the writer/director “might have had a heart attack or stroke.”
Ho’s body was found near his residence’s stairway.
According to Patrick, “A few months back, he had a mild stroke sa stairs din ng bahay.”
The GMA News Online report also said that an investigation is being conducted by the Scene Of The Crime Operatives (SOCO) of the Eastern Police District, and that the authorities will issue Ho's official cause of death after the autopsy result is released.
Meanwhile, news of Ho's sudden death came as a shock to family and friends.
Based on messages of condolences posted on Ho's Facebook timeline, the indie writer and director was supposed to work on various film projects this year.
Singer/actor Jeffrey Hidalgo, who co-directed Silong, was among those who posted a message.
A graduate of the University of The Philippines, Ho also worked as writer/director for Mariposa (2016), was producer for Bitukang Manok (2014), and writer for Señorita (2011).