Goodbye, Jocap
My dear friend, What were you thinking? Riding that chopper late in the afternoon
To fulfill a role played so many times before
To set the stage for your boss, the President Routine, it may have seemed
Another event, another speech, a different audience
But there’s nothing routine about going down In flames, deep in a jungle, where no one heard you fall
I will miss you, Jocap Down-to-earth, friendly and warm Grace under pressure, absorber of shocks Storyteller, visual artist, sober planner
What were you thinking?
Riding in that chopper, climbing mountains In a cloudy afternoon, where pilots fear to fly
You flew, and now we all miss you
In heaven’s arms, you rest. In our memories, you live.
Nothing will char your smile; nor mar the way you will be remembered,
You did your duty,
Like a good soldier, even though you became the saddest story on Holy Week.
We will miss you.
That Jocap grin, those Jocap moments.
God bless you. Goodbye.
– Susan ‘Toots’ Ople
The remains of Press Undersecretary Joe Capadocia and the 7 other Malacanang officials and military personnel who died in the crash of the presidential helicopter were airlifted back to Manila earlier today. Jocap’s remains are lying in state this evening at the Heroes Hall of Malacanang.
