Noy to Billy: Leave the job of wrecking chairs to us

MANILA, Philippines - For President Aquino, the late STAR columnist Billy Esposo was the man who gave it his all and saw the beauty and the funny side of life amidst adversities.

“I am sure that when he met our Maker and was asked, ‘What did you do for the least of my brethren?’ He would say confidently, ‘I gave my all.’ The impish smile we know well would have been on his face as he walked through the gates of heaven,” Aquino said in his eulogy before Esposo’s interment at the Manila Memorial Park in Dasmariñas, Cavite yesterday.

The President said “Billy always had a great presence, and not just physical because of his big build, but because of a combination of fearlessness, intelligence, professional skill, and a loud, jovial personality.”

Aquino believed these traits brought Esposo success in almost every field he was involved in – from advertising and marketing, to media and communications, to politics, and writing.

“And he had such a gift for writing. Billy was one of those talented writers who was always aware of just how much power the written word – in fact, media – holds.”

“His distinct voice was always there: witty, authoritative, but never condescending. In his columns, you could find reasonable, well-thought out, controversial and relevant issues in the country.”

His role was that of a concerned citizen, wanting to bring clarity to others, shed light on what was important, and help where he could, he said.

The President described Esposo as his “dear friend” and the “prophet” who stood by his conviction that he must run to be the country’s chief executive shortly after the death of his mother, former President Corazon, in August 2009.

“To Billy – I know you liked to share the story of how you got the name ‘Chair Wrecker.’ If I’m not mistaken, many years back, one of my uncles was teasing you about possibly destroying the chair you were sitting on. So, you got up, and, lo and behold, the chair was left intact. But, when my uncle, who was teasing you, sat down in that same chair – the chair broke. I remember that story today – I hope that you will allow yourself to move on and rest, and leave the job of wrecking chairs to us,” Aquino said.