Eric Quizon on Dolphy's Condition: "Very Critical Na Iyon"

In a live interview with Korina Sanchez on TV Patrol, director Eric Quizon, son of Comedy King Dolphy, revealed that his father is in critical condition, ABS-CBNNews.com reports. Dolphy has apparently been suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a condition that constricts air flow to the lungs, for the past few years.

"It’s a progressive disease," Eric is quoted as saying. "Para siyang cancer pero hindi kasing grabe ng cancer. 'Yung body niya, patuloy lang siyang manghihina. It’s like emphysema. Ang ganitong klaseng sakit, five years ago sinabihan na siya na parang stage 4 ang sakit na iyon. In cancer terms, very critical na iyon. (It's like cancer but not as bad. It's just that his body is progressively weakening. It's like emphysema. Five years ago, my dad was told that his disease is sort of like stage 4 [cancer]. In cancer terms, it's very critical.)"

Dolphy, who collapsed on June 12 and has been in the Makati Medical Center since then, has been in and out of consciousness. Eric added, "Hindi siya nakakasagot, but he responds through his eyebrows, through his eyes. He twitches, so may mga ganung pagkakataon, so alam namin na naririnig niya kami. He hears and he’s listening, at naririnig niya ang sinasabi namin sa kanya. (He can't talk, but he responds through his eyebrows, through his eyes. He twitches, so there are instances that we know he hears us. He hears and he's listening, and he hears what we're telling him.)"

In an interview with the media in front of the hospital, Eric said Dolphy's vitals were fluctuating. "As of now kasi, kailangan niya ng dugo," he is quoted as saying on PEP.ph. "So, may blood transfusion tayong ginagawa sa kanya, and, at the same time, yun na nga, yung kanyang kidney talaga is medyo mahina. Apart from his lungs. Yung kanyang lungs talaga, talagang very, very weak. (As of now, he needs blood. So we're doing blood transfusions right now, and at the same time, his kidneys are a bit weak. Apart from his lungs. His lungs are really very, very weak.)"

Prayers for Dolphy abound on Twitter with prominent personalities and celebrities hoping for the National Artist Award for the Comedy King, Interaksyon.com reports.

Journalist Teddyboy Locsin tweeted, "Noynoy should rush to Dolphy's bedside with National Artist Award, NOW, WAKE UP, GISING!"

Meanwhile, Manila Vice Mayor Isko Moreno retweeted a message, which said Manila councilor Edward Maceda had gone to the hospital to give the city government's resolution, showing that they supported Dolphy's declaration as a National Artist.


(Photos courtesy of PEP.ph)