Freddie’s aging heart

LETTERS FROM THE AGNO

March Fianza

I do not intend to intrude into one’s life, not even envious about musician-composer Freddie’s (Aguilar) latest love affair with a pretty 16-year old Mindoro lass who caught his eyes, but his actions became viral in the social net recently.

In Twitter and Facebook, Ka Freddie was, in his words, excessively criticized when he followed his heart and fell in love with the teener. Taking a closer look, the situation appeared as if the ones who disputed the most recent chapter in his life reacted in certain ways that toed poet-musician Paul Simon’s lines in his song “50 ways to leave your lover”.

The song goes: “The problem is all inside your head she said to me/ The answer is easy if you take it logic’ly/ I’d like to help you in your struggle to be free/ There must be 50 ways to leave your lover./ She said it’s really not my habit to intrude/ Furthermore I hope my meaning won’t be lost or misconstrued/ So I repeat myself at the risk of being crude/ There must be 50 ways.” This could be understood as words from someone jealous.    

Ka Freddie, folk singer born Ferdinand Pascual Aguilar in 1953, left his Isabela home at age 18. He composed "Anak", a best-seller in Pinoy music recording industry and became a celebrity with the hit that he wrote as an “apologetic” song by young rebels to mothers. As a “rebel” too in 1977, I met Ka Freddie while I was treading on an aimless journey in the Ermita District and a bystander at Cola House, Kalaw, Manila along with contemporaries Sammy Comiles, and brothers Reuel and Bobby Carantes.

Ka Freddie also became popular for his interpretation of "Bayan Ko", a song composed by Constancio de Guzman with the lyrics written by Jose Corazon de Jesus in 1928 that supposedly became the anthem during the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution that ended the regime of President Marcos.

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No one is certain of a situation until things are proven beyond doubt. In the early part of this month, Freddie openly admitted that he is in a relationship with Jovi Gatdula, a 16-year-old girl. His admittance sparked controversy, not only in tri-media but in print, social blogs and in the internet. Ka Freddie said he plans to marry Jovi and have children with her.

On the other hand, the young girl averred that she is willing to have his baby, further claiming that her mother said, “Okay, if it's what makes you happy, we will support you,” but to be careful because the musician “has a lot of women.”

In one TV interview, Ka Freddie’s version was that the girl stood out as one who is matured from a group of female barkadas. Then Jovi and her friends approached him to have a photo taken with him which gave the latter the chance to give the girls his calling card. Five months after the duo made their relationship “official”, Ka Freddie publicly admitted their relationship.

According to him, he recognized the importance of coming clean with the relationship to Ms. Gatdula’s parents, noting that the girl is a minor. The multi-awarded OPM musician said the same motivation drove him to make the admittance last week, but his openness drew criticisms against him instead.

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On the side of DSWD officials in Manila, they said they are making necessary actions just to “ensure the safety and welfare” of the girl, and are set to talk with Ka Freddie, Ms. Gatdula and her parents in order to better understand the situation. The government officials explained that DSWD is mandated to “protect the welfare of children,” Jovi included since she is still below 18 years old, hence the intervention.

DSWD also wanted to find out the reasons why Jovi’s parents gave their consent, and why the young girl entered into a relationship that has turned controversial. They also claimed they are after finding out about the girl’s condition, what her plans are, and what does she intend to do with her relationship with her 60-year old boyfriend.

But after all these statements and clarifications, the DSWD officials contradict themselves. They now claim that they “are not interfering with the girl’s right to a love affair but they only want to protect and provide guidance to a citizen who entered into a relationship at a young age.”

Furthermore, the DSWD said, they are not treating the couple’s case differently as compared to similar cases set before them. They are not singling out Ka Freddie because they give the same attention to others.

That claim of “equal treatment” of love affairs involving minors and senior citizens, to me is not easy to believe. What is more truthful as the case appears is that the controversy that was ignited through the internet pulled the DSWD to take advantage of the situation and take action in order to avoid facing the same condemnations that Ka Freddie suffered in case it does not lift a finger.

But with thousands of unfed children roaming the streets, what protection to minors is DSWD talking about? With hundreds of teen-aged girls getting pregnant, what equal treatment to minors is DSWD claiming?

I am inclined to think that the famous Pinoy musician-artist but once upon a time unpopular Isabela barrio boy who now manages his own music bar called “Ka Freddie" has the right to be treated fairly like any ordinary person, and whose case should not be inflamed just because he is famous. The man who has been composing and writing songs for 35 years based on what he truly feels is more believable when he told his accusers “magpakatotoo kayo.”  -- ozram.666@gmail.com