Rico Yan (partially found live coverage of Filipino actor's burial; 2002)

Rico Yan

Status: Partially found

Ricardo Carlos "Rico" Castro Yan (March 14, 1975 – March 29, 2002) was a Filipino matinee idol, model, film and television actor, host, spokesperson and entrepreneur. Yan died from cardiac arrest due to due to acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis while on vacation in Puerto Princesa, Palawan. His funeral was televised live on ABS-CBN, countless television tributes were given to honor him.

Death and funeral

On March 29, 2002, Yan, while on a vacation during Holy Week, was found dead inside his hotel room by his friend, actor Dominic Ochoa at the Dos Palmas Resort in Puerto Princesa, Palawan.^[1] In the autopsy report of the Philippine National Police Crime Laboratory, it appeared that 0.7% of ethyl alcohol was discovered in Rico Yan's body and also he was tested negative to illegal drugs and poisonous foods. It is possible that Yan may had been dead for three hours. There was undigested food in his stomach. Based on the report, the actor died of cardiac arrest due to acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis.^[2]^[3]^[4] Before his death, Yan was able to interview with the news media.^[5]

His public wake was held in La Salle Green Hills. An estimated 10,000 people attended his last funeral rites in Metro Manila.^[6] His funeral was also televised live on ABS-CBN, countless television tributes were given to honor him. Gary Valenciano moved people to tears on his rendition of "The Warrior is a Child", Yan's requested song. He was interred in Manila Memorial Park, Parañaque on April 4.^[7]

Availability

Recordings of news coverage of Rico Yan's death and funeral are available on YouTube. His burial was televised on ABS-CBN; the excerpt of the funeral mass is available, while the internment of the actor was only available in snippets and montage. Several documentaries and interviews related to the actor's death were made.