OPM icon Freddie Aguilar passes away at 72
OPM icon Freddie Aguilar has passed away at the age of 72.
Partido Federal ng Pilipinas general counsel George Briones confirmed the singer's passing, according to the Philippines News Agency.
Musician Anthony Castelo also told DZRH News that Aguilar died at around 1 a.m. on May 27. He was reportedly at the Philippine Heart Center.
Castelo added that Aguilar will be buried later in the afternoon, in accordance with his Muslim faith.
Aguilar, a folk musician, began composing music when he was 14. He pursued music after quitting college and later parted with his family at 18.
He later wrote about his regrets through the song Anak, which was released in 1978. The track, a finalist in the MetroPop Song Festival, became a hit locally and internationally—it has been translated into 51 languages.
"Anak was my way of atoning for my sins," Freddie said in a 2017 interview with The Philippine STAR. "It was my way of saying sorry to my father and my mother (Salud Pascual). I let my father read the lyrics and he turned teary-eyed. He put his arm around me and said, 'Now you understand what life is.'"
The singer added that while his father wasn't able to hear the iconic song, but his mother was moved to tears.
Aguilar is also known for his rendition of the song Bayan Ko, a song that became an anthem of the opposition during the 1986 People Power Revolution that led to the ouster of Ferdinand Marcos Sr.
Post-martial law, he continued to release music, including Magdalena, Minamahal Kita, Kumusta Ka, Himig Pasko, and more.
During Rodrigo Duterte's administration, Aguilar sang at the detained former president's inauguration in 2016. The singer was later appointed as Presidential Adviser on Culture and the Arts.
In 2019, Aguilar ran for senator and was endorsed by Duterte. However, he lost as he failed to crack the top 12.
His wife of 11 years Jovie Albao, 28, shared about Aguilar being in the hospital on May 21, saying that she couldn't give details about his condition as it was a matter for family and close friends.
Aguilar is survived by Jovie and his four children with Josephine Quiepo.
